January 2015 — Issue #55

NORTHWEST LEAF THE PATIENT’S VOICE since 2010

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January 2015

QUOTED! BECOMING THE MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN AGAINST MMJ

A GREAT GROWER crucial wisdom from dr. scanderson

3

issue #55

RECIPES Tacoma troubles MARK HERER LEGACY TO TRY NATIONAL NEWS! ONANDHISWHATDAD’SIT MEANS IMMEDIATELY

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JANUARY 2015

40 48 78 Evergreen Bud and Glass Owner Rodney Krafka chats with Jarad P. of Rad Ass Glass and Josh E. during the charity event Dec. 14.

GLASS AUCTION 28 16

They actually said it.

44

Retail Store Review

22

Why plant count matters

52

In Jack’s Footsteps

28

Prison Dispatch

58

Sky High Gardens tour

36

Quoted: Medical under attack

Patients need more than their 15

The Human Solution’s news update

8 Questions for...

Troy Stephens, MMJ grower

58

90

Dockside Recreational in Shoreline

Mark Herer expands the family business Getting a peek behind the I-502 curtain

Becoming a Great Grower You have the passion, but do you have...

NATIONAL NEWS....................12 CHARITY AUCTION..................18 TACOMA BANS...........................25 WAR ON DRUGS.........................27 MARKETING Q & A .....................40 CENTERFOLD.........................48 GROW TRUCKS..........................62 MICRO STRAINS.........................70 TASTY REVIEWS.........................78 HEALTH & SCIENCE.....................84 CHERRY FUEL............................94 Contents photos by Daniel Berman

COVER ART BY SEAN O’NEILL for NORTHWEST LEAF

See more of his work at www. PregnantCone.com

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52

FEATURE Legendary hemp and Cannabis activist Jack Herer founded the Southeast Portland glass mecca Third Eye Shoppe close to three decades ago. Holding up the legacy is his son, Mark Herer, now a co-owner.

Photo by Daniel Berman/Northwest Leaf

NORTHWEST LEAF

the truth about the plant you thought you knew, IN every issue.

editor’s note

JANUARY 2015 ISSUE #55

Patients shouldn’t have to bear the burden of bad policy

R

ight now, medical and recreational Cannabis are being threatened by the same factor: Excessive taxation. The recreational market is being smothered by burdensome taxes that have driven prices to triple the black market, and it’s even worse on the back end for Initiative 502 license holders.

The excise taxes that made the state drool with anticipation are not deductible at the federal level. That money is considered subject to income tax, so I-502 license holders will be forced to pay a tax on the tax they are paying to the state. Thank I-502 architect Alison Holcomb for that mess.

This month marks the start of the most important legislative session ever for Cannabis in Washington. The only solution to making I-502 competitive with the black market is to adjust taxes, starting with a reclassification of the excise tax into a structure that is not hurting license holders on the back end.

As for medical, the biggest threat is the demand for I-502 tax revenue. Local councils and state officials alike are looking at medical with a hungry eye, imagining the amount of revenue that would flow in, “if only patients would stop faking and start buying at I-502 stores,” they write accusingly. Everyone, this here is your wake-up call.

Patients should not be forced to pay two to three times the amount for their medicine, especially in a system that is not designed to serve them. And they won’t. Just like the dozens of illegal 21-plus delivery services that are operating across the state, patients will head to the black market to save money.

The time is here to stand up for our medicine and ask our Legislature to protect a separate system that values patients’ needs.

And we need state officials and lawmakers to understand the realities of recreational Cannabis — they are dealing with a plant, not liquor, and as long as it is easy to call a delivery service or meet a dude at the corner for cheap pot, the system will struggle.

Nobody will deny that our state needs tax revenue right now, and Seattle especially so given its recent Bertha tunneling woes. But the only people getting rich currently are the black-market drug dealers, and that benefits no one. We have a choice to make as a state.

Lets not dig this hole any deeper.

WES ABNEY, EDITOR

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Daniel Berman

ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS

Department of Corrections The December strain of the month grown by Brian Sledge was actually Permafrost, not ermafrost — a typo we regret.

The July 2014 Micro Strains column should have identified Zanae Dexaxas, Stuart Guss, and the MMJ Muse Foundation as the owners of the featured grow, which is managed by two master growers, not one as indicated in an earlier correction in August, and that Dr. Beth Fisher contributed to the original article.

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EVAN ABELL SARAH AITCHISON STEVE ELLIOTT TYLER J. MARKWART BOB MONTOYA SEAN O’NEILL TONY OVERMAN DR. SCANDERSON DR. SCOTT D. ROSE DAVID RYDER LAURIE & BRUCE WOLF

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national

STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion

DONE DEAL

The federal ban on medical marijuana is gone and all thanks to a tricky move

Attorney General Eric Holder, right, joined North Dakota U.S. Attorney Timothy Pardon last June to speak with students at the Fourth Annual Tribal Consultation Conference in Bismarck, ND.

Historic.

Feds say they’ll allow Native Americans to grow and sell marijuana on tribal lands — even in states where pot remains illegal.

In

er tribes remain opposed to legalizing marian epochal shift likely to change the juana on their lands, and federal officials will face of American society forever, the continue to enforce the law in those areas, if Department of Justice told United requested, Purdon argued.

States attorneys not to prevent Native Many tribes see marijuana sales as a potenAmerican tribes from growing or selling marijuana tially lucrative source of income, similar to toon their sovereign lands, even in states where canbacco sales and casino gambling, which have nabis is illegal, on Dec. 11. fattened the coffers of tribes across the nation.

The new memorandum offers guidance which Others, though -- including the Yakama will be implemented on a case-by-case basis, acNation in Washington state -- remain strongcording to U.S. Attorney Timothy Purdon of ly opposed to the sale or even the use of marNorth Dakota, chairman of the Attorney General’s ijuana on their lands, despite its legality at the Subcommittee on Native American Issues. state level. Many tribes, already concerned Tribes must still follow the eight guidelines, with other substance abuse, appear to be opalso called areas of concern, offered by the federal posed to allowing marijuana use and cultivagovernment after Colorado and Washington state tion on their territory, Purdon said. voters chose to legalize marijuana in the 2012 elecThe DOJ will not enforce tions. The federal guidelines will also federal marijuana laws on fedapply in Oregon and Alaska, where THE YAKAMA NATION erally recognized tribes that voters chose to join the ranks of legal choose to allow Cannabis, as STRONGLY OPPOSES states in 2014.

While it is still unknown just THE SALE OR EVEN THE long as they meet the eight areas of concern. how many reservations will take adUSE OF MARIJUANA ON “The tribes,” Purdon said, vantage of the new policy, it seems “have the sovereign right to set likely that many will, judging by THEIR LANDS. the code on their reservations.” their business saavy elsewhere. Oth-

12/jan. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Photo by U.S. Department of Justice

A

$1.1 trillion federal spending bill was passed by Congress in December, containing language which will prohibit the United States Department of Justice from spending any money to undermine state medical marijuana laws.

The spending bill also prohibits the Drug Enforcement Agency from blocking implementation of a federal law passed last year by Congress which greenlighted hemp cultivation for academic and agricultural research purposes in states that currently allow it.

It also contains an amendment allowing Washington, D.C.’s voter-approved initiative legalizing marijuana possession and home cultivation for personal use to move forward, but prohibits D.C. policymakers from using local or federal 2015 funding to tax and regulate marijuana the same way they do alcohol.

“For the first time, Congress is letting states set their own medical marijuana and hemp policies, a huge step forward for sensible drug policy,” said Bill Piper, director of the Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs. “States will continue to reform their marijuana laws and Congress will be forced to accommodate them. It’s not a question of if, but when, federal marijuana prohibition will be repealed.”

The spending bill also contains a provision affecting legalization efforts in D.C. In November, 70 percent of D.C. voters approved Initiative 71, a ballot measure that legalizes small amounts of marijuana for personal use.

Members of Congress have offered differing opinions on whether the language in the spending bill stops Initiative 71 or just prohibits D.C. from going further.

Initiative 71 was officially enacted on December 3rd when 70 percent of D.C. voters approved it. Whatever the fate of D.C.’s legalization effort, the national medical marijuana victory in Congress will further solidify drug policy reform’s relevance as a mainstream political issue.

“The war on drugs is unraveling at the state and federal levels,” Piper said. “It’s taken a lot of work by a lot people for decades.

It’s not delivery, it’s a felony...

Emerald City calls the pot services illegal and demands expanded rules & licenses

S

Mendoza also unveiled a cadre of new medical eattle officials want the police departmarijuana dispensary rules that could be tough ment to crack down on marijuana to follow. “Our goal is to stop this [medical disdelivery services in the city. “There’s pensaries] growth,” he said. no provision for them,” David Mendoza, a Seattle wants to create a certification, similar policy advisor in the Office of the Mayor, to a business license, for marijuana collectives. told members of the City Council on Dec. This won’t be the state license 10. “We feel we should close that Seattle has ordered all disthem down.”

The mayor’s office wants to curb the pensaries to get – that license Officials said that Cannabis city’s marijuana doesn’t exist yet. delivery is illegal, and is a feldelivering services The certifications would be ony offense. It’s prohibited unby using what one issued to dispensaries that follow der Washington state’s anemic advisor called a the city’s new rules, or the city “legalization” measure, Initia‘one strike method.’ could shut them down for good. tive 502, which (barely) legalAmong the proposed new rules ized recreational marijuana. are a requirement of using opaque packaging The Office of Mayor Ed Murray plans to that doesn’t appeal to children, bans on certain shut down the city’s marijuana delivery seredibles that could entice kids, testing and labelvices, possibly using what Mendoza called a ing requirements similar to, or stricter than, 502 “one strike” method. rules, and a new factor in the mix: shops must Delivery services would be offered a be located a minimum of 500 feet away from chance to escape criminal charges, but have schools, daycares, and parks, and 1,000 feet all their weed seized the first time they’re from the nearest other legal marijuana store. caught. We hesitate to call this convenient.

Quoted

Quick Hits!

1.1 1.5 20 80 91 95 300 369 The 1.1 trillion-dollar Cromnibus budget passed by Congress included a provision that defunded the Federal Government from targeting MMJ in states where it is legal, which should save billions in useless costs.

A bust in Houston last month was worth 1.5 million on the black market according to police, who found 300 plants in a suburban home.

President Obama signed eight commutations and 12 pardons last month, with four of the prisoners serving life sentences for non-violent crimes like growing pot.

Police found a Massachusetts man in possession of 80 pounds of weed, $15,000 in cash and two stolen pistols. Only break one law at a time, guy.

Aurora Leveroni is a 91-year-old woman who made waves when she launched her cooking with Cannabis show through Vice.com, which backed a full season.

Cost in dollars to join a new Weed of the Month club in San Francisco, where packages come monthly full of delicious high-end Cannabis. The City by the Bay has always been accustomed to the finer things, so get toking!

Million dollars worth of recreational Cannabis sold in Colorado alone during 2014. This could be an incentive for other states to follow suit.

Total number of applications for 21 grow centers and 60 dispensary licenses available in the Illinois MMJ program. Congrats, Chicagoans.

THE FACT THAT A DEFENDANT CAN BE SENTENCED TO 13.3 YEARS IN JAIL FOR POSSESSION OF TWO MARIJUANA CIGARETTES

‘‘

SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT OUR ANTIQUATED SENTENCING STRUCTURE. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE CHANGE THE SENTENCING STRUCTURE .

- New Orleans Parish Criminal Court Judge Calvin Johnson noting the case of Bernard Noble. “Noble’s original sentencing judge considered the 13+ year sentence egregious and imposed a sentence of five years hard labor. The Orleans Parish District Attorney wasn’t satisfied with this punishment and appealed the sentence.

Ultimately, the district attorney sought and obtained a prison term of nearly triple the sentence imposed by the original sentencing judge,” reported HuffingtonPost.

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national

STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion

Oregon appoints pot czar

The Chandler family keeps pushing for little Carly.

Tom Burns departs Oregon Health Authority for Oregon Liquor Control Commission job

San Francisco dispensaries pay to get guns off streets

M

edical dispensaries have ponied up the dough to get illegal guns off the street, sponsoring the first event of its kind by a dispensary last month, on the second anniversary of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

The Green Door, Barbary Coast, Grassroots and legal firm Hallinan & Hallinan, gave $35,000 to secure the buy back of illegal firearms, said attorney Brendan Hallinan.

“Pot clubs are often accused of creating crime; of causing robberies…We wanted to counter that a little bit,” Hallinan said. Anyone who turned in a handgun got $100; assault weapons fetched $200.

All guns were accepted by law enforcement.

“We want to participate in society,” said Mike Nolin, The Green Door’s founder and head of the MMJ consulting firm Boss Enterprises. “We want to contribute,” Nolin added.

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FOSTER COMES CLEAN ABOUT HER POT USE Former WSLCB chair enjoys medibles

S

Federal

carly’s law gets landmark study

University of Alabama will investigate the effectiveness of CBD oil in preventing seizures.

T

he Food and Drug Administration has given the University of Alabama at Birmingham the go-ahead to study the use of cannabidiol, a marijuana derivative, to treat seizures. On December 10 the university received FDA letters authorizing two studies of cannabidiol, one for children and one for adults, said UAB spokesman Bob Shepard.

“It’s hard to put in words the feelings you have as a dad with a daughter that could benefit from this,” said Dustin Chandler. The legislation became known as “Carly’s Law” after Chandler’s 3-year-old daughter, who started having seizures at 8 weeks old.

Carly was eventually diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. Chandler, a police officer, frequently appeared before the Legislature to push for the bill.

Alabama lawmakers approved the study after a decriminalization bill failed. That legislation would have shielded parents and patients from prosecution if “It’s hard to put into they bought their own oil. words the feelings you The newly approved legishave as a dad with a daughter that could lation provides $1 million benefit from this,” to UAB to fund the fivesaid Dustin Chandler, year-long study. Patients Carly’s father. in the study who are prescribed the marijuana oil will be protected from state criminal charges.

Parents of children with severe seizure disorders convinced the Alabama Legislature last year to pass a bill authorizing UAB’s Department of Neurology to perform a study of CBD, which is not psychoactive.

Carly was able to go from 300 gran mal seizures a month to just a handful per week once she began the CBD oil treatment.

‘‘

O

regon Liquor Control Commission officials have announced Tom Burns, a former pharmaceutical lobbyist who now works at the Oregon Health Authority, will oversee the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state.

Burns was previously director of pharmacy programs and ran the Oregon’s medical cannabis dispensary program.

Before working for the state, Burns served as top administrator in the California Senate and was a lobbyist for GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical giant, according to reports by Nigel Jaquiss at Willamette Week.

“Tom has navigated these waters before on the medical side,” said OLCC Executive Director Steven Marks.

“In line with Chairman Rob Patridge’s direction, Tom will lead the implementation of Oregon’s recreational marijuana law with a measured approach that protects children, promotes safety and brings the marijuana industry into the regulated market.”

Northwest

haron Foster, the soon-to-be-retired chairwoman of the Washington State Liquor Control Board -in charge of recreational marijuana in the state, and perhaps soon medicinal Cannabis as well -- has admitted she used medibles in December to control pain after a knee replacement surgery.

Foster said her doctors sent her home with heavy painkillers. “I had enough oxycodone to go on the black market.”

She opted instead to use marijuana, which she’s been in charge of regulating for two years now. She obtained some cannabis-infused brownies for that purpose.

“By the time I went to bed, which was maybe an hour-and-a-half or two hours after I ate this brownie — piece of brownie — I didn’t feel anything,” Foster said. “So all I know is, I was relaxed enough to go to sleep. So if I was high, I don’t know it.”

The chairwoman was infamous among medical marijuana activists for her snippy communication style during public meetings with the patient community last year.

She declined to name the source of the marijuana brownies she used for her pain.

If Foster is a medical marijuana patient, it would be seen as particularly ironic by many patients in the state, especially after the LCB recommended last year the Washington state’s MMJ program should be shut down in favor of the state’s recreational marijuana outlets.

“I think the medical marijuana market is out of control in many places,” Foster told Seattle NPR affiliate KUOW. “People ought to know it’s well tested and not full of bad things that can happen in a growing operation. People are probably willing to pay a little bit higher price for having that security in the product they’re buying.”

In the last legislative session by state regulators medical marijuana dispensaries were called”unfair competition” to the over-taxed, under-powered pot available in state-licensed recreational stores.

quoted

COMPILED by NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF

MEDICAL UNDER ATTACK

These are just a few of the ridiculous things said by folks who blame medical Cannabis for the issues & concerns of I-502.

“Does anyone seriously believe that those hundreds of dispensaries are serving only people with grave illnesses?

Can we please cut the crap about all their customers being patients?”

-Tacoma News Tribune Editorial

“A painstakingly slow launch of recreational marijuana stores, with their sky-high prices and scarcity in Seattle, gets most headlines.

But the truth is that experiment is utterly undermined by a much larger, wildly unregulated medical marijuana market.”

-The Seattle Times Editorial Board

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“On average, street prices are between $8 and $9 per gram and medical marijuana costs between $10 and $15 a gram.

Eventually, consumers will realize that they can either buy weed from the black market or get a medical marijuana card with $100 and a doctor’s recommendation, gaining access to lower cost buds.”

-Mic.com Policy Analysis

“I am very concerned

about the Mayor’s proposal to create a special, Seattle-specific ordinance purporting to regulate medical marijuana businesses... medical marijuana businesses are not legal...

Moreover, it is redundant to expend city time and resources considering regulations for collective gardens engaged in commercial activity (producers), dispensaries (retailers) and edible and concentrate product manufacturers (processors). Regulations for these entities already exist under state law (I-502) More and more voters are looking at medical marijuana and saying, ‘This is looking a lot like medicinal whiskey during alcohol prohibition,’ when you could get a prescription from your doctor that gave you the legal protection to continue to drink. People are looking at medical marijuana and thinking there’s more going on than actually getting medical marijuana to people who really need it ... People feel like there’s a sham being pulled on us, so let’s just get rid of the sham.”

- Alison Holcomb, I-502 creator, national director, ACLU Campaign to End Mass Incarceration

“Instead of building on the existing medical marijuana industry, as Colorado did, Washington tried to start from scratch, which created two parallel systems for producing and distributing cannabis (three, counting the black market). Now the challenge is to protect bona fide patients’ access to their medicine without leaving the new [I-502] shops vulnerable to competition from dispensaries that charge less, largely because they are not subject to Washington’s heavy marijuana taxes.”

PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

rehashed

TEXT & PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Saturday Dec. 14, 2014

Evergreen Bud & Glass, Seattle

The silent auction raised $1,650 for Arbor Assets.

Evergreen owner Rodney Krafka admires a $5k octopus piece

by Ryan Jenkins.

GLASS CHARITY AUCTION Twelve glass art pieces were donated from eight different studios for a charity silent auction Dec. 14 at Evergreen Bud and Glass in the Sodo neighborhood of Seattle.

Local Blend glass studios from Mount Vernon donated three large pieces for the special occasion. In total, the event raised about $1,650 dollars for Arbor Assets, a microlending company operating in Central American countries which has the power to dramatically change the life of small business owners with little cash.

“It’s a charity I’ve worked with for about ten years,” Evergreen owner Rodney Krafka said. “It was before I started doing any of this other stuff. I’ve worked down in the area before, but the past five years I have worked down there in these communities directly,” he said. “I try to focus on the idea of the people whose lives are being improved. Everything is going to a good cause.”

Learn more at

www.arborassets.com // www.evergreenbudandglass.com

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An eyeball piece by Errl.

rehashed

PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Saturday Dec. 14, 2014

Showbox SoDo, Seattle

T H E

2014 Dope Industry Awards The night was a chance for a who’s who of the Cannabis world to get dressed up, relax and celebrate some fantastic hard work and all of the best products and plants around.

W I N N E R S

Lifetime Achievement Award: Marc Emery Co-Op of the Year: Cannabis Club Collective Best New Co-Op: The Solution North Seattle Best Medical Grower: Solstice Gardens Best Medical Cannabis Clinic: Green Wellness Best Rec producer/processor: Gecko Growers Best Seed Company: Exotic Genetics Best Concentrate Company: Refine Seattle Best Female Budtender: Amanda Marks Best Male Budtender: James “Buddha” Henry Best Testing Facility: Analytical 360 Best Edible Company: Loaded Soda Best Edible Selection: Woodinville Quality Collective Best Medicine Selection: Cannabis Club Collective Best Branding: Dama Cannabis Products Best Glass Company: Sasquatch Glass Best Grow Product: Root Pouch Best Head Shop: Piece of Mind Best Staff: Have A Heart Best Product: Dutch Master Nutrients Best Chronic Relief Center: Eastside Herbal Care Best Topical Company: Kush Green Best Cannabis Association: CCSE, Cannabis Coalition for Standards and Ethics

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NOW

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opinion

PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

Why plant count matters Patients should continue to be allowed to grow their own — for many, it amounts to life support.

In

the constant struggle to stay ahead of the and effectively make medical Cannabis available curve, lawmakers, bureaucrats, lobbyists to the patients who need it most, abiding by the and politicians have executed brazen atvoter-enforced choices, we knew that unchartered tempts to regulate the cultivation and distribution territory was being breached. of Cannabis with the accuracy and consisThe attempt to control and limit the cultitency of a bingo game. In typical fashion, vation of medical Cannabis through plant choices are influenced almost exclusivecount is not only an exercise in futility

BY NORTHWEST LEAF ly by financial interests and any shred but also counterproductive for the paSPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR of intelligent discourse is not only igtients these regulations are intended to DR. SCANDERSON nored, but forbidden. create relief for. In just about every apFew areas of regulatory effort better plication of medicinal Cannabis, having demonstrate the pretentious ignorance more than 15 plants is a necessity. of those trying to create such regulations Consider the patient who is inexperithan those governing cultivating medical Canenced with using or growing Cannabis but wants nabis and plant counts. the benefits of an analgesic compound that has litWhen lawmakers tried to create rules to safely tle to no side effects, such as CBD. Research could

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IN JUST ABOUT EVERY APPLICATION OF MEDICINAL CANNABIS, HAVING MORE THAN 15 PLANTS IS A NECESSITY.

F

IN ORDER TO SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY HAVE AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FRESH CANNABIS LEAVES TO JUICE DAILY, IT’S ESSENTIAL TO HAVE A LOT MORE THAN 15 PLANTS. lead the patient to the benefits of juicing Cannabis leaves from plants known to have high-CBD profiles. In order to safely and effectively have an adequate supply of fresh Cannabis leaves to juice daily, it’s essential to have a lot more than 15 plants.

The same patient who learns that treatment through juicing requires breaking the law, might look to another non-psychoactive applications, including Cannabis topicals and transdermal patches.

Again, research will reveal that the amount of dried flower needed to create the concentrated forms of Cannabis needed for effective topical and transdermal treatment is far more than the average patient grower can reliably and consistently cultivate under current regulations.

The patient is thus left without legal means to cultivate a plant that holds a medicinal compound unlike any other found on the planet. Patients are faced with two choices: first, recognize that the rules and regulations surrounding the cultivation of medical Cannabis have nothing to do with creating effective treatment and will require breaking the law, and, second, they could re-evaluate their relationship with THC. They could accommodate the mandate and start ingesting the dried flowers we are legally able to cultivate to create treatment. Then, while they’d be within legal boundaries, they’d have to compromise on their desire to stay away from mood-altering substances and be OK with getting stoned in order not to break the law.

Perhaps the laws and regulation were geared more toward the producers and access points than individuals. Perhaps creating a more interdependent system in which patients are essentially forced to go to an access point to buy the items they need

because they don’t want to break the law was the intention of the regulations.

The access point is going to need to have a large supply of specific extracts from certain plants, namely those that provide the most relief to the most patients.

As many growers realize and those

familiar with basic etymology can deduce, concentrates are smaller amounts than the substances they’re derived from. Rick Simpson Oil has been shown to reliably treat certain types of life-threatening disease, as well as chronic illness.

The process of creating RSO can require a tremendous amount of medication (4 to 6 pounds of dried flower) for a 40-day supply for one person.

Furthermore, cutting-edge research has helped identify and isolate cannabinoids in order to create treatments in which particular cannabinoids are administered in precise amounts.

The amount of raw material needed to extract, research or administer such compounds could not possibly be cultivated with any degree of effectiveness with small plant counts.

It might be the opinion that a large group of accomplished cultivators could be part of a collective that helps grow the large amount of raw material.

But it’s easy to see why limiting plant count to the degree of today’s regulation is counterproductive to supporting professionally minded cultivators.

An adequate 30-day supply of medical Cannabis is most easily cultivated using much larger plant counts than now are allowed.

It’s considerably easier for average growers to end with 24 ounces if they run 48 to 96 plants so that each plant only needs to yield one-quarter to one-

THE PROCESS OF CREATING RSO REQUIRES 4-6 POUNDS OF DRIED FLOWER FOR A 40-DAY SUPPLY FOR ONE PERSON. half an ounce of dried, quality medicine. Add to that figure the amount needed in vegetative state to keep that supply going without interruption. Then compound that figure by the best practices of selecting only the best plants that will grow with the most vigor and ultimately provide the best yield and it’s easy to see why having three to four times the number of plants in bloom is not only average but necessity.

I am frustrated by the haphazard policies we see, which are the product of an evolving system desperately trying to set safe and effective rules while accommodating a huge sociological shift. From this perspective, we might be able to look forward to a more concentrated effort to understand how this plant grows and can be cultivated for the treatments that can make the most difference for the most people.

The growing number of people willing to share and provide information about Cannabis’ enormous benefits can only further help create the change and education necessary to safely integrate Cannabis into our culture.

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-PRESENTS-

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22 2015 8:00AM - 4:00PM A S A M E M B E R S W I L L B E TA K I N G T H E C A P I T O L B Y S T O R M I N A S H O W O F S O L I D A R I T Y B Y T H E PAT I E N T S A N D T H E P E O P L E W H O C A R E F O R T H E M !

WE’VE GOT A FULL AGENDA IN THE WORKS • A D V O C A C Y T R A I N I N G • R A L LY O N C A P I T O L S T E P S • R E G I O N A L B R E A K O U T G R O U P S • L U N C H T I M E L E G I S L AT I V E B R I E F I N G • C O O R D I N AT E D M E E T I N G S W I T H L AW M A K E R S & S TA F F • P R O F E S S I O N A L I N F O R M AT I O N A L H A N D O U T S

REGISTER BY JANUARY 7TH

A M E R I C A N S F O R S A F E A C C E S S . O R G / W A _ L O B B Y _ D AY _ 2 0 1 5

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PRIVATE RECEPTION HOSTED AFTERWARDS BY

opinion

TACOMA TROUBLES

By WES ABNEY

Something stinks in Tacoma, which just proposed a complete ban on collective garden access points that could take effect as soon as this summer. The move would dump patients into a rec market that isn’t built to help them.

Northwest Leaf wants you to support safe access

for patients in Tacoma. Patients need and deserve safe access to medicine — recreational stores will not meet the needs of patients. Under 69.51a, our state’s medical Cannabis law allows any patient who has been authorized by a qualified doctor, naturopath or nurse practitioner to collectively grow and share medicine with other patients.

We urge the Tacoma City Council to create a committee of collective operators and council members to come up with a working, viable solution to the council’s concerns. Issues to be decided on include developing regulations or a licensing strategy for MMJ within Tacoma, and a potential tax ordinance for collectives within the city.

Access points are willing to pay a licensing fee and reasonable taxes, as long as the rights of patients to access medicine at a safe and affordable cost are assured. But you cannot shut down the only safe place for patients to access their medicine.

Recreational I-502 stores do not meet the needs of patients. A total of five recreational stores cannot and will not be able to provide the medicinal strains or products that are needed, even when they are running at full capacity, which is estimated to happen within 12 to 18 months from now.

Reasons that I-502 stores cannot help patients... >> I-502 recreational retailers are forbidden from mentioning any therapeutic or medicinal benefits of Cannabis, leaving recreational buyers and patients alike without any information regarding the therapeutic or medicinal use of products. >> The recreational market has almost zero demand for high CBD and low THC products, meaning the essential medications for patients are not available for purchase at most recreational locations. >> The recreational market has no access to medicinal tinctures, medicinal concentrates, sublingual products or transdermal products. This also includes

a vast majority of edibles because of hastily passed emergency rules imposed by the state Liquor Control Board back in fall 2014. >> Excessive taxation puts basic patient needs, including Cannabis flower/bud at two to three times the price offered by collectives, unaffordable for most patients. >> Excessive taxation and a lack of information in I-502 retail stores is feeding demand to the black market, which is not a safe option for sick and dying patients in Tacoma.

We urge the council to consider the needs of patients and show the type of compassion and empathy that created our medical Cannabis law in 1998.

The I-502 system is not intended to help patients. It is designed to actively discriminate against patients or users seeking therapeutic or medicinal information and Cannabis. Please allow patients to continue to have safe access, and respect the needs of those most vulnerable in our city.

THE RECREATIONAL MARKET HAS ALMOST ZERO DEMAND FOR HIGH CBD AND LOW THC PRODUCTS, MEANING THE ESSENTIAL MEDICATIONS FOR PATIENTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT MOST RECREATIONAL LOCATIONS.

Patients still need: Access points within their neighborhood or immediate area.

Access to information inside stores

about the medical use of Cannabis.

That’s a practice that’s forbidden under state law I-502.

Access to affordable medicine.

Access to specific medical strains, including options high in CBD and low in psychoactive THC.

Access to concentrates made from

medicinal strains to be used in treatment of cancers and other conditions requiring intense pain management.

Access to infused products, tinc-

tures, edibles, and sublingual and transdermal methods of ingesting medication.

FIELD TRIP: 5:30 PM // JAN. 6

SAVE MMJ IN TACOMA! TACOMA CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS 747 MARKET ST. TACOMA, WA 98402

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opinion

By WES ABNEY

THE WAR ON

DRUGS ISN'T OVER.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR CONGRESS TO TRULY DO THE RIGHT THING? Marijuana supporters across the nation grew smiles across their face with the news: The spending bill passed by Congress in December meant the federal government couldn’t bankroll any attempt to block a state from implementing its own medical marijuana program.

But that’s not how the law reads, and not how it’ll work in practice.

The spending bills state that no money for the Department of Justice, which manages multiple law enforcement agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, can be used to prevent states from administering their MMJ laws.

Just as MMJ access points in Washington have been called “creative” in interpreting the collective garden laws to permit storefront access, you better believe the feds will be creative in how they interpret raids and continued prosecution of MMJ patients as not “preventing” states from executing their medical marijuana laws.

It all lies in the language of the law. Technically,

federal prosecutors and U.S. attorneys can charge whoever they want with felonies in violation of federal law without preventing implementation of a law. The word implementation is defined as “the process of putting a decision or plan into effect; execution,” according to the Oxford Dictionary of English. Nowhere does the definition include language that could constitute enforcement, nor does it leave wiggle room for rules that become law as a result of the implementation of a MMJ law.

Nothing has changed federally at all. And those who would believe so are taking a major risk.

Cannabis is the safest plant and medicine on

our planet, but the DEA still classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, one with a high potential for abuse and with no known medicinal benefits. But the government also owns patents for medicine derived from the active chemicals in pot, so we know that argument is hypocritical at best. The government has lied about Cannabis, and a spending bill isn’t going to stop what has amounted to a heavy war on the truth.

It is more important than ever that the Cannabis movement rallies to unschedule pot from the DEA registry. This includes recreational and medicinal proponents! Peanuts, Tylenol and even cows kill more people each year than so-called devil’s weed.

Cannabis instead offers a solution to thousands of medical ailments without any side effects or the sickening profits made by Big Pharma. Cannabis also offers a safer alternative than alcohol, without the 88,000 deaths and the $175.9 billion spent annually in health care and other social costs to our country. Why are we arguing about the benefits, let alone the legality of growing a plant or smoking a joint?

Greed.

We need to reclaim our basic human right to grow any plant that exists on this Earth and the freedom to choose a safer alternative to poisonous drugs or alcohol.

Our united voices will be the only sound that can change that. Take action! Share the truth about Cannabis with someone in your life. Call your state representatives and tell them they can’t “legalize” a plant that is still illegal to grow.

If you don’t stand up for our plant, you stand with those who would control it, lie about it and hide it. Let’s make a change so 2015 is the year of legalization, and let’s ensure that every person in Washington and our great country can grow and consume a plant without risk of criminal penalties!

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dispatch

By MIGGY420, MINDI GRIFFITHS & KRISTIN FLOR

>> News from the front lines of tHE HUMAN SOLUTION

JANUARY PRISONER UPDATE

H

appy New Year! With two more states and the nation’s capital legalizing marijuana in 2014, this year could be the year we truly manage to end prohibition. The Human Solution’s New Year’s resolution is to end prohibition in 2015.

We are working hard so this can be the year that no more lives are ruined for a nontoxic plant. This could be the year that no one has to be locked in a four-by-four-foot cell with no amenities or rights as a human being. This could be the year when no one is buried under debt and forced to spend the rest of their lives rebuilding something they shouldn’t have lost in the first place. This could be the year when everyone, smoker or not, can say, “No one will go to jail for a plant.”

PRISON OUTREACH

WE’RE WORKING HARD SO THIS CAN BE THE YEAR THAT NO MORE LIVES ARE RUINED FOR A NONTOXIC PLANT!

Richard Delisi has some good news this month, he has been adopted after serving 9 years out of a 90-year sentence for pot. He was adopted by The Human Solution’s headquarters chapter in Southern California — the chapter will raise money for Richard’s commissary and advocate for his release.

Richard recently had the opportunity to stand

28/JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

George Martorano has been litigating for his

freedom for years. The Human Solution continues to gather letters for the plant prisoner and prolific writer, now into his 31st year of a life sentence.

Please keep George in mind. He’s on the brink of freedom and the more people who know the man and how the drug war is putting away our loved ones, the more chance we have of helping everyone know that no one should go to jail for a plant.

George was adopted by Seattle Hempfest. To learn more, please visit Seattle Hempfest’s website.

Irma alred is a Native American plant prisoner

Craig Cesal is doing better since the last report.

Guards and other staff are recognizing that Craig is receiving outside assistance from lots of people and through his adoption by Vicca and Jesse Thompson of Ferntucky Medical. Even prison staff members are telling him it is wrong he’s there. He is giving hope to other inmates imprisoned for false reasons, to the point where other inmates’ visiting family members point him out and ask, “Is that him?”

But his celebrity status is bringing hardships, too. Imagine the wardens from the movies “Life” or “The Shawshank Redemption” and you have Craig’s position. Please keep Craig in mind as he continues his battle for freedom while a daughter goes another year without a father. To hear Craig, please listen to The Human Solution’s News From the Front Lines Internet radio show.

Craig risks lockdown every week to call into the radio show and update us on his life in prison.

before a judge and have his case revisited; the outcome is pending. Read more about the Delisi Project in the national news part of this article.

Irma Alred is 57 and serving 30 years, 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Her estimated release date is 09-29-2020.

She is able to receive mail at the address below, so please send her a letter or note!

Irma Estelle Alred #03436-017 FCI Tallahassee Federal Correction Institute 501 Capital Circle N.E. Tallahassee, FL 32301

and she deserves your consideration for adoption.

Irma has served 23 years of a 30-year sentence for marijuana distribution. She has paid off her $25,000 debt to the government by working for less than 20 cents an hour in prison.

She has undergone surgeries and is unable to work as a slave for our government anymore. She needs your help to advocate for her and to supply her with enough commissary money to provide shampoo, phone time, and food. If you want to help this brave woman, call 951-934-0055 to adopt her.

Irma’s only crime was being a strong Native American woman who believed in the land and our plant.

NORTHWEST NEWS Oregon>> Joy Graves and Raymond Martin left

court Dec. 4 insulted by Grant County Circuit Judge William D. Cramer’s proceedings. After admitting he had not read the motion to dismiss filed by the defense, Cramer stated that even if he ruled Cannabis was a sacrament, the charges applied because Graves cultivated within 1,000 feet of a school and the government retains the right to regulate where a school is situated.

The district attorney claimed that once the state accepts Cannabis as a religious sacrament, then one would assume meth and human sacrifices would be

also allowed. In the end, Graves’ attorney was granted seven days to file an amendment to the motion.

Cramer warned that it would take him time to get through the motion and all the testimony to make his decision. A court date hasn’t been set. Joy asks for the public to call Grant County Circuit Court at 541-575-1438 to tell them to drop this case.

washington>> The Kettle Falls Five’s trial date

was continued and set for 8:30 a.m. Feb. 23 at the Thomas S. Foley U.S. Courthouse in Spokane.

Community support is truly appreciated. Jurors won’t even know the family followed our state MMJ laws because the feds have blocked their right to bring up state laws in federal court.

This truly brave family needs just one of the 12 jurors to believe that no one should go to prison for a plant and say “not guilty!” Otherwise, they could go to prison for up to 60 years.

Jude Ortiz needs support after being sentenced to

15 years by Yakima County Judge David Elofson, who actually accused him of being the “cancer” in his family. This is a victimless case. The large family presence in the courtroom proves Jude’s value to the Ortiz family. Please help this father of five and insist that Elofson overturns this unjust sentence.

Send letters to Yakima County Superior Courthouse, 128 N. 2nd St. Yakima, WA 98901.

Josh Mauk has had his Child Protective Services

case dismissed! The Human Solution’s King County chapter pulled off a successful fundraiser that raised money for Josh and Debbie to cover legal fees to retain attorney David Arganian. The call to action of Sonia Leyva, King County chapter leader, brought the canna family together in support of Debbie and Josh. Thank you Sonia, MMJ Universe and everyone else who donated and helped pull off an amazing event.

Debbie and Josh are still fighting their criminal cases so court support is needed. Please check The Human Solution’s calendar on our website — thsintl.org — for details of their next court date.

Vicca and Jesse Thompson founded The Grow

Shop and Ferntucky Medical Marijuana Dispensary in Ferndale in 2012 and ran it personally until the city shut them down Nov. 5.

The day before, CPS began an investigation into allegations that the Thompsons had put their child at risk and had exposed him to Cannabis. Vicca and Jesse would later discover a disgruntled ex-volunteer had given the state a false accusation as ammunition to take their child. On Nov. 21, the couple

was forced to surrender their son to the state, which required that hair sample was taken to test the child for Cannabis.

This family was torn apart for Thanksgiving and they fear they will not be together for Christmas, too.

Vicca and Jesse are advocates for our plant and its prisoners, advocating and offering support to Craig Cesal through our adopt-a-prisoner project. Craig is offering his support to Vicca from behind bars.

If you would like to become a member of the newly formed Bellingham chapter, please visit our website.

On Dec. 1, Richard went before a judge and was not denied a release. Instead, the judge is going to take 30 days to deliberate, meanwhile we are asking you to call the governor of Florida, Rick Scott at 850-717-9337 and ask him to free Richard DeLisi and return him to his daughter Ashley! Tell him that Richard has suffered enough and his incarceration has been unbearable for all. Tell the governor no one deserves to die in prison because of our plant!

The Human Solution participated in the 15th

ern California was found not guilty in court!

Thanks to jury nullification and court support, Tuan will not spend the next four years in prison. While Tuan was saved from prison, Noah Kleinman from Los Angeles was sentenced to 18 years in federal court. Noah would not be in prison today if one of the jurors had stepped up and said “not guilty!”

Thanks to jury nullification and court support, Tuan will not spend the next four years in prison. While Tuan was saved from prison, Noah Kleinman from Los Angeles was sentenced to 18 years after his unfair trial in federal court and taken into custody.

Christmas Vigil put on by Seattle Hempfest and the November Coalition. We were honored to join in the protest, advocating for our nonviolent offenders who couldn’t be home for the holiday. We also teamed up with Northwest Leaf, PCE market and MMJ Universe, and collected coats and other warm clothing for homeless and needy people.

NATIONAL NEWS

E

ven as each state fights for legalization, the national report does not look good. Mothers across the nation are being ripped from their children and sent off to jail. Prohibition still exists and is ruining families everywhere.

The Human Solution International (THSI) has been trying to put attention on Vicca Thompson in Washington state, Andrea Harps in Maryland, Karen Ross - Glaser in Arizona, Fredrica Ballard in Nevada and Tamara Hudson in Michigan because our war is ruining their lives. As these strong women fight their unfair charges, their nightmares of losing their children because of our harmless plant are becoming real.

To bring light to all of the stories and more, The Human Solution International has formed a media team. Please help in our attempt to spread the news by participating in “Operation Viral”. Help end prohibition by assisting in delivering the news to the world! Go to our website www.thsintl.org and visit our press room to share the stories on your social media.

The Delisi Project’s Journey for Justice brought

Stacey Theis and the big green Cannabus full of supporters from Michigan to Florida in efforts to free Richard from his life sentence for our plant.

Tuan Nguyen from Westminster in South-

The Human Solution International would

like to thank the Seattle Foundation for our first grant and especially thank our member, Richard Brenner for advocating for us to get the donation! The money will be helping to start our Adopt-A-Prisoner Program T-shirt commissary fundraiser!

Please make it your resolution to join our goal to END PROHIBITION 2015, we need your help! If you would like to volunteer for The Human Solution International, start a chapter, join a team project, donate, adopt-a-prisoner, become a member, etc., please visit our website at www.thsintl.org or call us 951-934-0055.

We need your help to end the war! For more news from the front lines, you can listen to our weekly radio show. The archives and other popular articles can be found on our website.

PLEASE REMEMBER, NO VICTIM = NO CRIME = NOT GUILTY BECAUSE NO ONE DESERVES TO GO TO PRISON OR DIE FOR OUR PLANT!

You can help drug war prisoners. Visit www.the-human-solution.org to learn about this mission.

JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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opinion

By STEVE SARICH

CAN I-502 BUSINESSES COMPETE WITH THE MEDICAL CANNABIS MARKET? As prices remain astronomically high, one is forced to wonder: what were the law’s authors hoping to prove?

With

the current tax structure that was implemented

by I-502, the businesses licensed by the LCB will never be able to compete with anyone. Everyone was aware of the tax structure and regulations set up by the initiative and the Washington State Liquor Control Board, yet they chose to take the calculated gamble that, somehow, the I-502 model might work and that they might all become instant millionaires. It’s fostered a whole new industry: diving into the fray are attorneys, consulting companies, alarm companies and countless new industry organizations.

These new industry organizations, like any other industry organizations, are there to protect the financial interests of the members. It’s not a mystery that these organizations would like to establish a monopoly over both medical and recreational to further their own business interests.

They’re certainly not realistic, but their intentions are easy enough to understand.

There are certain assumptions that these groups have made. First off, I-502 was not passed by the voters to set up a Cannabis monopoly for a group of millionaire investors, most of whom come from out of state.

Secondly, no one that gets involved, especially in a very high-risk business, should ever think that they are assured of success simply by getting a license to do business. They all knew this would be a huge gamble and they chose to take that gamble with no guarantee of success.

These I-502 businesses, with the exception of those that are cheating the system, are all losing money, or barely breaking even. Unless the taxes are seriously reduced, which we all know is not going to happen any time soon, and certainly not this session, this I-502/LCB model may, in fact, fail.

The recent announcement by the Department of Justice, that the Indian Nations will now be allowed to grow and sell Cannabis on their reservations, will have a far greater impact on the LCB business model than either the medical market or black market.

The Tribes are not subject to either state or Federal taxes, and they are not subject to the expensive over-regulation imposed by the LCB. Neither the Federal DOJ, the State of Washington, or the City of Puyallup, can stop the Puyallup Indian tribe from growing and selling Cannabis, for medical or recreational use, The price of recreational Cannabis is currently 30 to without any of the taxes that the I-502 500 percent higher than the price of both medical Cannabis and the businesses have to pay. prices of black market Cannabis. Any attempt to force patients into So medical Cannabis is hardly the biggest threat for the I-502 businesses paying these inflated prices will have only one outcome. Patients will be owners, we’re just a target of opportunity and the group least able to fight back forced back into the black market. against the lobbying efforts of the I-502 businesses.

Claims by LCB that prices for recreational would eventually fall with I-502 will require extensive adjustments to realistically compete increased production have not materialized, and may never with the existing well-established black market, and the inevitable I-502 will require materialize under the current tax structure. extensive adjustments impact of Indian Nations entry into the recreational market.

The LCB has estimated that medical comprises only 10 to realistically With the proposed changes to the medical market, including percent of the total Cannabis market in Washington State. compete with the licensing and regulation by the Department of Agriculture and the The black market still owns nearly 90 percent of the market. existing wellelimination of those without qualifying conditions, the argument Eliminating medical will only increase the size of the black established that medical Cannabis is nothing more than a “gray market” can black market. market and it will not result in an increased share of the finally be laid to rest. market for the I-502 business owners.

‘‘

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8 PROFILE

Questions for the cloner troy stephens

on what it takes to keep a family growing

By TYLER J. MARKWART | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

36/jan. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

One of the hardest-working guys in the business is also one of the most compassionate. Troy Stephens is the owner and operator of Permanent Farms, and he and his crew are putting out some award-winning genetics that are keeping patients satisfied. After an unlucky series of relocations and the loss of a good friend, Troy has kept his focus on spreading some of the most distinctive medical Cannabis genetics to patients in Washington state.

#1 What is Permanent Farms?

#5 Where is Permanent Farms currently operating then?

Basically, it’s a small genetics farm where we try to get the highest quality clones to a patient at minimal cost to get the genetics spread around. We know patients can’t afford high-end clones, so we try to get them out depending on income.

I called Dawn Darington and we rented another truck; this was the fifth move in six months. We have the veg and flower room set up at Dawn’s place and another room down south set up for mother rooms and the clones. We work with Choice Wellness Collective to create a safe access point so that we aren’t meeting people on the corner of the street.

#2 how did you get started?

My father had Parkinson’s disease real bad; I watched him just deteriorate. He got diagnosed at the age of 27 and by the time he was 30, he was in a wheelchair. By the time he was 40, he was bed-ridden and he died when he was 50. They couldn’t roll him over when he had bedsores because all his ribs would break. They wouldn’t even crack; they would just break and shatter. He was on about 40 medications, I was in high school at that time and I knew about Cannabis, but that was 1988 and we didn’t really know anything about the medical aspects of Cannabis. But since finding out more about the medical aspects, I want to make sure as many people as possible can have options besides pharmaceuticals if they decide to go that way.

#3 What breeders do you distribute?

We like to run a lot of Exotic Genetics strains. We also carry Bob’s Seeds, some Sin City Seeds and go local with the Vashon Seed Mercantile. Everybody’s favorite seems to be Exotic Genetics, since they have been winning awards.

#6 It sounds like you’ve managed to overcome a lot then?

Yeah, it has cost me my car and cost me a lot of things. There is such a demand for what we’re doing that we can’t stop. We gotta keep going.

I’m hoping to salvage what’s left after these last few road bumps and keep on going on with what I love doing.

THERE IS SUCH A DEMAND FOR WHAT WE’RE DOING THAT WE CAN’T STOP.

#4 You’ve had a rough few months regarding locations for growing....

After a fallout at Green Lion Farms, I headed to House of Fire, which was owned by my good buddy Scott, who I’ve known for years. He had kept asking me to come check out a warehouse he wasn’t using, but he was a buddy and a collective patient so I was reluctant to take him up at first. But I did. I moved in and it was the nicest place we had set up. We had patients coming in daily to get clones.

Thirty days after I moved in, Scott got a blood clot in his brain while driving and drove into a house and died. It was on the news and it was a big deal for there to be a pot angle. The landlord then told us that we had 24 hours to move out.

‘‘

#7 What will you be doing in 2015?

It’s hard to say what is going to happen with the legislation so that’s why were going to be at the lobby days. If they go with the six plants, it’s going to be tough, but we’re still going to try to provide CBD strains.

The next six months are going to be very interesting.

With the lobbying and activism and being a grower and contributor, it’s a 26-hour a day job. Know what I mean?

#8 What do you love most about your job?

I like the pictures that I get from patients who purchase and grow out our clones; most of them are vets, so that’s a great feeling. I had a patient just call me the other day who just got out of surgery and said the Beaver Dawg strain he got from me is working wonders. He’s an older gentleman with inflammation, so he’ll get up often throughout the middle of the night and has trouble sleeping. He’ll get up and hit that Beaver Dawg a couple of times and he’s in bed for the rest of the night.

It’s the quality of life that the patients get from just getting sleep and eating instead of relying on heavy narcotics.

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feature

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Q&A mirsky knows marketing We sat down with Jared Mirsky, the 32-year-old owner of Online Marijuana Design, a fast-growing Cannabis industry design agency in Seattle’s Wallingford area employing 16 staffmembers capable of delivering everything from total branding to custom mobile apps.

40/JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

NW Leaf: How did you get into cannabis?

I started Online Marijuana Design about four and a half years ago, but I actually started my first design company at age 19 called Mirsky Media. By 2010, I had already done about four or five different Cannabis company websites and realized that there was a need for design work in the marketplace. I was eventually even interviewed by The Huffington Post about starting the company, which gave me a big boost of confidence and exposure.

What was the most challenging part?

There was a lot that I did not know about business.

All I really knew were relationships. It started just as myself out of my house. Roman, my photographer, and I were roommates. OMD was kind of just an idea that had slowly formulated into something real. Mirsky Media was growing very fast due to Yelp ratings for web and graphic design, and with that momentum it gave me an opportunity to bring on more people and free time up for myself. So I used it to focus on a niche market, Cannabis.

why did you choose to focus on Cannabis?

CAD/3-D modeling world, and he’s managed and coordinated design teams large and small.

While I had helped work on and manage design teams, I never had that corporate life because I’ve always been self-employed.

So I was lacking a lot of that type of knowledge, but I recognized it and recruited the best team possible. Today, we have over 100 clients, including international companies, clients in Amsterdam and Canada, and 30 different states.

What services do you offer?

We cover full branding from logo to finished products, packaging for a huge variety of products, website development and marketing, and we are even 3-D printing prototype shells to develop packaging. We also do search engine optimization, social media management, consulting for advertising design and media buying, public relations services and trade show development. We did all the marketing for CannaCon.

IF COMPANIES WANT TO BECOME THAT BIG BRAND, IT’S ALL ABOUT THEIR APPROACH.

I’ve always been very entrepreneurial. I’m that type of person who manifests my own destiny. I see something I want and I go for it and I don’t stop until I get it. And there is so much to do and learn and so many ways to help people in the Cannabis industry. It’s great! It’s the green rush for sure, but it’s also been a good way for me to finally take my ideas and my vision and turn it into something tangible. I’ve developed respect and trust with my clients and that has enabled me to expand on my ideas even more.

Your business has grown rapidly over the last four years, why do you think so?

Assembling the right team of people who specialize in their own arenas of both the Cannabis industry and the design world. Take Clark Morgan, for example. He and I have been best friends for a long while and his background is in the design and

what kinds of things are you doing now?

‘‘

A cool project that we are working with Clear Choice Cannabis on is a new technology that offers 360-degree view of glass, bud or any product online that you spin with a finger or a click.

We’re also working right now on the Marijuana Green Pages with the MJBA, which will be a directory of Cannabis and ancillary businesses.

There’s new packaging for a producer/processor ....packaging for Green Chiefs, for CannaBliss developing logos and a website, with Spry, which is coming out with its own rechargeable E-nail, and High Tech Growing, which has a revolutionary operating system for automating controls for gardens.

What is the most important part about the industry having better branding?

There are so many ways to present and package and create a story behind a product. We want to help people properly brand their products and find a way to connect their product with consumers.

There are so many ways to take a brand — you

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO TAKE A BRAND — YOU DON’T NEED TO BE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. MIRSKY SAID.

‘‘‘

don’t need to be like everyone else. We want to help make brands special, make them different and make them stand out.

People want to follow existing brands like Louis Vuitton, but what kind of pot that you can possibly sell is that much better than something else that costs less? If I’m buying a $100 eighth in a humidor I can justify it as a consumer because I’m getting an experience and a humidor.

If companies want to become that big brand, it’s all about their approach. I don’t think we will ever have an eighth of flower for a thousand like we have thousand-dollar bottles of wine, but we will have products that fulfill a high-end market.

What is the most exciting part of this for you, and what are your hopes for the future?

I would say every person that has come to life from the Cannabis industry has brought something completely new to the table. Sorting through all the different ideas to come up with one solid one is really fun.

All of the various types of minds that are coming to the forefront are so interesting. Everyone has such unique visions and unique problems, and nobody is ever staying the same.

Everyone has a different way of trying to reach consumers and connect, and that’s what makes it exciting. Hearing all the different ways people want to connect with customers with this plant keeps me focused on the future.

info@onlinemarijuanadesign.com twitter @mirskymedia (425) 343-8967

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access

dOCKSIDE Recreational Strains 4/5 FOR ONLY BEING open a few weeks,

Dockside Recreational had a great lineup of some of the most popular, well-known strains in the world. With a wide selection from hard hitting indica’s and OG’s to the most uplifting of haze’s, Dockside seemingly has everyone covered — they even have a modest CBD selection.

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Reviewed

By TYLER J. MARKWART for NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Edibles 3/5 THE EDIBLE SELECTION was a little bit thin as the

store (and I-502 market) waits for products to come in from processors, yet their inventory is getting bigger each week. On our visit last month, they carried medicated syrups by Craft Elixirs, liquid drops by Zoots and a handful of other small goodies.The staff said they expect to have a multitude of options in the next few months as the market begins to open up.

Concentrates n/a AT THE TIME we went to print with this review, the

store had just acquired some Dark Angel honey oil, and some 80+% THC-keif, but staff said they are still working to find products that have to be approved by the molasses-slow Liquor Control Board. Most rec stores are in the same boat. As the market develops, it is important that recreational consumers also have solid access to safe extracts like patients do.

Trip Report Dockside Recreational is open and clean,

Anyone over 21 can grab exactly what they need without delay.

C ANNALOPE HAZE ESCAPE TO THE WARM,

SATIVA

THE SCORE

windy shores of the a rom a : islands with this sample de n s ity: of Cannalope Haze. cure : With every inhale, the looks: Cannalope Haze is like ta s te : biting into a fresh ripe e ffe ct: melon.The strain is eastota l : 24/30 ily one of our all-time favorites. I mean even GROWN by down to the last puff of PUFFIN FARMS the joint when it would usually taste gnarly, Cannalope Haze keeps its flavor. It has that classic haze background flavor on the exhale, making for a fantastic day strain or an out-and-about strain for late-night shakers.The packaging was easy-to-read and had plenty of information on the back label.

Environment 5/5 THE CREW went above and beyond with

their buildout. The space is a huge open layout set around a long row of registers and matching display cases. It’s warm and welcoming and not what you expect a recreational store to look like. Anyone 21 and over can grab exactly what they need without delay. It was a pleasant experience that should become the standard for new and current rec businesses.

Overall 12/15 DOCKSIDE has outdone themselves by creating

an extremely reputable business model for the future of what recreational Cannabis sales ought to look like. Dockside is ensuring that patients still have a voice and safe access by maintaining excellent standards at both this new recreational shop and their medicinal access point in Fremont. Ultimately, this will only help to enhance the professional image we need to cement all access to all Cannabis.

creating an outstanding experience for new Cannabis consumers and seasoned smokers.

It has taken the professionalism and success it gained from the medical market and applied that work ethic to its recreational store.

Situated right on Aurora Avenue (state Route 99) in a small strip mall, Dockside is across from Taco Bell, has easy access off the street and is open until 10 p.m. The store stocks more than 15 strains, including classics such as Afgoo, AK-47, Skunk #1, Sensi Star, OG Kush, Blueberry and new strains such as Tangerine and the high-CBD strain AC/ DC. With just a few edibles and no concentrates in stock at the time of our visit, Dockside is doing what most retailers are doing; waiting for producer/ processors to catch up to consumer demand.

Access should not be taken for granted. It may not be a big deal for a lot of us in the PNW because the laws are very lax here now and we are getting used to legalized Cannabis, but around the country and the world, where people are still getting arrested for Cannabis production, processing and distribution, we need only decide the flavor and strain of our particular preference. In that context, Dockside is evolving in an evolving world.

KANDY KUSH JOINT ROAD DOOBIE! Rolled and

INDICA

THE SCORE

ready to puff, this Kandy : burn: Kush cone was tasty, lo o ks: smooth and hit the spot effect: after a long day of work. ta st e: The 17-percent THC joint, t o ta l: 16.5/20 with a total cannabinoid profile of 18 percent, was a decent deal for $9.13 each. Two regular smokers can easily smoke this doobie and enjoy any activity without being totally stoned out of their minds. Beginners might want to try just a couple of puffs and see where it goes because it does have some legs to it. For the price, it’s a deal and for those on the go, it’s ready to light, which eliminates the hassle of having to grind and roll it up.

DOCKSIDE RECREATIONAL

15029 Aurora Ave. N. Shoreline 98133 ( 206) 402-4839 DocksideCannabis.com

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TRUE OG produced by Elemental seeds

29.60% THC 0.85% CBG 0.03% CBc 0.22% CBD

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Terpene Profile: 0.38% Myrcene 1.36% Humulene 0.80% Caryophyllene 2.99% TOTAL-terpenes

NORTHWEST LEAF

STRAIN OF THE MONTH

By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

TIME SLOWED AND WE ENTERED THE INDICA ZONE.

PREPARE FOR A FREIGHT TRAIN

to hit you in the forehead when you take a hit of the True OG, delivering pain-alleviating pleasure to anyone who gets a toke.

This five-time High Times Cannabis Cup award-winning strain is a powerful indica that blends heavy cerebral psychoactivity with superb pain-killing properties. Within minutes of powering down a fat joint, time slowed and we entered the indica zone.

True OG is one of the most powerful flowers we have medicated with. Much of the potency is owed to the monoterpene myrcene, which is found in high levels in this strain. Myrcene lowers the blood-brain barrier and allows THC and other cannabinoids to access receptors on the brain faster, bringing quicker and stronger medicinal benefits.

One of the most appealing parts of this strain is the flavor and smell profile, which is heavily influenced by the expert cure and care taken with the flower. We cracked open a bag and felt the delicious stank fill a room with a thick and heady flavor of pine and gasoline. In the background, we noticed earthy cocoa flavors, which came through heavily in the smoke. The taste is fully prevalent in the smoke, which is light on the lungs while bringing a lot of taste to the table.

This strain is helpful for cancer-related conditions. True OG acts as an anti-inflammatory and in the treatment of spasms and insomnia.

Available From The Bakeree 1200 S. Angelo St. Seattle 98108 206-747-2495 Facebook.com/cookiefamnw

Urban Healing Collective Info@elementalseeds.com for wholesale

Test Results by Analytical360.com

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starbuds.com

Stepping across the threshold into the two-story Portland storefront creates a feeling of calm and well-being. This is no dingy, poorly lit head shop trafficking in cheap glass or bath salts. Enter The Third Eye Shoppe and you’re absorbed into a counterculture dreamworld — every conceivable surface adorned with glass, art, books and stones.

The shop was started in 1987 by Jack Herer, the legendary hemp and Cannabis activist, and now his son, Mark Herer, a vocal man in his own right, is the co-owner, working diligently to keep up this most personal of fights.

We wandered all throughout the incredible space as he shed light on his father’s writings, his history as an activist and how he ended up running the city’s most beloved head shop.

feature

IN JACK’S FOOTSTEPS: MARK HERER, THIRD EYE SHOPPE, AND UPHOLDING AN INCREDIBLE LEGACY

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

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M

ark Herer (pronounced like hair) grew up in Los Angeles, splitting time in split custody and spending weekends with his dad, working side-by-side to spread petitions and get out the word on hemp and Cannabis causes.

“I remember being 7 years old and being the monkey on his arm as he went around with petitions,” Mark said. “Activism was always part of our life, and by the time I turned 15 and I became heavy into politics, Dad was really galavanting around, trying to make change.”

His childhood exposure to the political process gives Mark a rare perspective on the history of Cannabis and the movement to legalize it. By the age of 21, he’d been arrested countless times for petitioning in public places, living the life of a freedom fighter.

“I GREW UP IN A DIFFERENT WORLD, one where even

asking people about legalizing Cannabis could be enough to get you arrested. We would break new ground every day, and not everybody was comfortable with it,” Mark explained. “But we made it fun. We had a tradition that whenever anyone was arrested whoever bailed them out would show up with a fresh joint, and the second we got out of the jailhouse doors the newly free activist would take the first hit.”

Mark recalls being arrested dozens of times, along with many of the other activists that his father was organizing to sign and circulate petitions.

“Luckily, Dad and I never got arrested at the same time. He would be running around different areas in his van, dropping off or picking up crews of signature gatherers, and if one of us got arrested he would be right there with a joint to bail us out.”

Although public signature gathering is legal in almost every state, Mark and his fellow activists were often accused of loitering or creating a public nuisance by business owners who wanted to get the police involved.

“We were never charged with anything, but they would come and detain us and then send us on our way. We were always polite to law enforcement, and so we never had any major problems.”

Mark and his father treated the plant and people with respect. They did it because they knew how it could help in beautiful and unexpected ways.

“When I was growing up, I had asthma so bad I would cry myself to sleep at night,” Mark said. “I couldn’t breathe. So when I was in seventh grade, my dad had the idea that smoking would help my asthma. It didn’t seem logical, but Dad believed in Cannabis as medicine, and as soon as I smoked my bronchioles dilated and I was breathing again. Pot was my salvation.”

Jack, later in life, would share the story of Mark’s asthma hundreds of times, using it as evidence that Cannabis can help conditions that seem atypical when smoking is the delivery method. He had strong opinions that he shared nationally, especially through his writing.

“Dad was a great storyteller. That’s what made him such a great writer. If there is one thing I wish people could remember about Dad, it’s his writing and not the strain named after him.

It was his writing that is his legacy.”

Jack Herer wrote many texts, but The Third Eye Shoppe among his most famous is one closest 3950 SE Hawthorne Blvd to Mark’s heart.

Portland, OR 97214 “It can be safely said that this www.3rdeyeshoppe.com book ‘The Emperor Wears No Clothes’ is the greatest reason the (503) 232-3393 planet is turning in the way it is now,” Mark said before standing

PEOPLE WALK IN AND THEY JUST SAY ‘AHHHH.’

quiet for a moment at the front counter.

Mark reached for the latest version of the book. He held it up in the gallery lighting.

“Dad was a hemp activist, though he never had a problem getting high, but the book isn’t about getting high. It’s about how hemp can save the planet and bring things back to a natural state.”

Jack strongly believed that all use of Cannabis was medicinal, and that both Cannabis and hemp should be fully legal and should be able to be grown or used by anyone. It’s a sentiment that has carried into Mark’s life.

“There was a time when people thought we were full of shit, but sometimes you have to piss people off to be heard. I don’t know if pot will save the world, but it is the only thing that can,” Mark explained.

“Dad actually opposed Prop 215 because he wanted total victory; he thought that hemp shouldn’t be separated from Cannabis or medicine from recreational.” By Mark’s estimation, we have been set back 20 years by that very separation.

“If we had legalized the whole plant instead of breaking it into different categories, it wouldn’t have taken 18 years to get to our new legalization, which still isn’t fully free. I do think Dad would have been happy about Measure 91. I think four plants for everybody is a reasonable beginning, but it is only that. We still have work to do,” he said passionately. “If all the activists in the country had put aside personal feelings or opinions 30 years ago, we would have already legalized it, and it could still happen today. Think of what we could accomplish if we all got on the same page.”

JACK AND MARK MOVED UP TO OREGON in the

summer of 1985 to work on an initiative to legalize Cannabis. They moved from the busy streets of Los Angeles to discover a new culture in Portland.

“The first time I came up here, I was in heaven, coming from the concrete jungle to a real PNW jungle. That summer, my father and I got arrested at least 20 times for petitioning.

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feature

By WES ABNEY

PHOTOS COURTESY

IN JACK’S FOOTSTEPS:

MARK HERER, THIRD EYE SHOPPE, AND UPHOLDING AN INCREDIBLE LEGACY

people know me Jack’s passion for hemp and the power of Cannabis made him into a household name.

JackHerer.com

Continued from p. 53

O

ver the next decade, Mark fell in love with Oregon, and in 1999 he inherited partial ownership of The Third Eye Shoppe, just weeks after Ballot Measure 67 passed, which raised business taxes.

“I remember coming into the store and all we had for sale was white Zig Zags, onyx pipes and brass screens. That’s it. So a month after it opened, I made sure we had a comprehensive smoke shop area, even though it was only 120 square feet,” Mark said.

That original area is now the stone and crystal area of the two-story store, which has expanded to carry thousands of items and products. The second floor opened in July of 2001, and since then the shop has taken off.

“It is an experience now for people to come in here. People walk in and they just say ‘Ahhhh.’ I can feel them relax, walking into a safe haven. It’s a pretty awesome feeling from both sides of the counter. It changes their day, their outlook, because inside Third Eye the world isn’t fucked up.”

“It’s not uncommon for us to give out hugs along with advice. We hold a lot of hands, bridge a lot of gaps, and are super proud to be in business for something more than just dollars. We are here to serve the community.”

During the past 15 years, the shop’s selection has transformed dramatically, especially in the area of vaporizers and nonsmoking alternatives. Products such as the Volcano didn’t exist when the shop opened, but now a dozen varieties are sold there for consumers to vaporize Cannabis or other herbs.

There are also posters, crystals and stones, clothing, tarot cards, an extensive library covering dozens of topics, jewelry, detox supplies, glass-blowing

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supplies and, of course, glass of every variety. Beautiful pipes, bongs and dab rigs line the shelves upstairs, with friendly staff happy to help demonstrate the function of a piece. All of the glass comes from Oregon, which has long been known as a bastion of quality lampworkers.

“We have the best glass artists in the world here in Oregon,” Mark said, clearly proud. “Why would we sell anything else?”

I ask Mark if he is still an activist, and he starts to smile.

“Anytime you talk to someone about Cannabis or hemp, you are being an activist. Whether you are on a corner shouting or circulating a petition, or having a conversation with someone to enlighten them, that’s activism. I try to educate someone every day, and feel good when I get the chance to help.”

“I remember being around 18 years old and thinking that at some point the baton would be passed from Dad to me, though I have been reluctant to take it. My wife appreciates the politics, but after being in the movement so long I see everyone’s agendas and egos going different directions.”

Mark still works to bring awareness to his father’s true legacy — his books — and to educate as many patrons of Third Eye as possible about the benefits of Cannabis and hemp. And when he isn’t at work, he tends to his personal garden, which supports 16 patients with medicine.

“Growing medicine for others has been the greatest satisfaction ever. I get to call my patients every harvest and play Santa, and bring them a box full of Mason jars that are labeled and stuffed full of medicine. I tell my patients that they are never going to have to pay for pot again for the rest of their lives.

That’s the greatest feeling I get out of this life.”

JACK HERER The Emperor of Hemp 1939-2010

DAD WAS A GREAT STORYTELLER. THAT’S WHAT MADE HIM SUCH A GREAT WRITER. IF THERE IS ONE THING I WISH PEOPLE COULD REMEMBER ABOUT DAD, IT’S HIS WRITING AND NOT THE STRAIN NAMED AFTER HIM. IT WAS HIS WRITING THAT IS HIS LEGACY. -Mark Herer

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Sure Can Delivery

(206)535-7645

surecan.org

feature

Sky High Gardens Peeking behind the I-502 curtain with KUSH TOURISM

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

A

GLIMPSE INTO THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD OF RECREATIONAL POT PRODUCTION COMES WITH A PRICE. ABOUT $50.

You would not notice Sky High Gardens’ grow facility from the street. The site is tucked away in an 80-year old building in an industrial part of Seattle.

With more than 2,700 plants in various stages of growth, there is much to see and smell on the tour.

Kush Tourism expects to launch the new tour this January, offering a new and distinctive experience for regular smokers and tourists.

“For people who come from places all over the world and see this level of production is incredible.

Their minds are going to be blown,” said Kush Tours President Michael Gordon. “They are treated like fugitives and criminals in their home states, and then we get to watch their faces walking through a legal grow. This is a really special experience.”

As a Tier 3 facility, Sky High Gardens is allowed to maintain between 10,000 feet and 30,000-squarefeet of dedicated plant canopy, the most under the law, according to the Washington State Liquor Control Board website (www.liq.wa.gov).

During a media walkthrough in late December, co-owner Brian Humphrey told Northwest Leaf how being able to offer tours of a licensed recreational grow really began years ago in the medical Cannabis market.

The founding group originally produced medicine at a grow in Lynnwood, but were raided by local police, who took everything they had grown and used to grow it. Yet, 18 months later, and the legal battle ended in their favor when the growers recovered all of their equipment and resources. But, Humphrey, said sighing, “the plants were long dead.”

They continued to work with patients after the raid and resulting court proceedings, though they moved the company the Seattle area.

In Seattle, Sky High Gardens perfected their medical Cannabis production, working from 80 strains down to a final 20 that they now are pro-

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Clockwise from top-left: Feel free to snap pix along the tour; close-up-ready; Sky High Gardens co-owner Brian Humphrey; the drying room will be in use soon as Sky High finishes its first crop; co-owner Jeremy Knox just picked up some new lighting to install; and grower Jill Lane leads the tour past the vegging room.

ducing for 502. When the licensing became available, they moved Sky hIGH GARDENS TOur quickly and diligently to secure a

by Kush Tourism $49 location. They opened their doors in the fall.

One-hour walkthrough The inaugural crop of flower of the entire licensed was about five weeks into flower I-502 production process; includes transporation and around the time we visited. a commemorative t-shirt.

The company has invested nearly You’ll be guided by the Sky $1 million since the licensing proHigh Gardens growers who cess began, and they are excited to are limiting the participant bring their products to market. count each tour to keep Humphrey lead the tour up and things cozy. Along the way, down the warehouse’s narrow they hand out color-blockstairs — past inspirational quotes ing filtered glasses to better spray painted on the walls — to admire the impressive various floors, each dedicated to a flower room where they portion of the production process. are growing hundreds of The tour was ushered into an plants. No samples, folks outside garage area, where a must wait until this first car-lover’s dream waited for the epic crop hits shelves in first batch of dank. That’s because late January, but the grow Sky High Gardens said it plans to tour can be combined with deliver their products using a wellothers that include stops at groomed 1947 Cadillac ambumedical collectives as well lance/hearse model, complete with as recreational pot stores. a unused coffin to carry the bud. www.kushtourism.com “Technically it meets the requirements of the law as a locking and rolling box,” he said with a laugh. “Of course, we are trying to make a statement with our deliveries, but eventually we plan to get a more fuel-efficient fleet of vehicles. You can’t drive more than an hour without going through a fortune in gas.”

They are going to need a fleet by the time production fully ramps up with an expected crop of 2,500 pounds of weed in 2015. Available strains include Green Crack, Durban Poison, Chocolate Thai, Chocolope, Chocolope Kush and the exclusive Chocolate Heaven. The company also has a highCBD AC/DC they plan to continue finessing.

Once the crop is finished, the flower will go to dozens of retail shops across the state, along with premium joints. Sky High doesn’t plan to make concentrates or process for other producers. Instead, they intend to focus on what they do best: producing the highest quality flower possible.

But why open up the facility to a steady stream of guests? Why let people behind the curtain?

“We don’t have anything to hide,” he said confidently.“ So then it just becomes about the fun of seeing people walk into a garden for the first time and getting the chance to educate them about Cannabis. This is a sight and a smell that most people have never experienced.”

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feature

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DAVID RYDER for NORTHWEST LEAF

Moving Day A new prefab growing system from Deidre Finley lets you cultivate securely inside of a semitruck trailer — the only question now is where to park it...

T

ransporting or moving a Cannabis grow is one of the most difficult and stressful experiences a grower can go through. Equipment has to be taken down and boxed up, renovations need to be made for the grow site, plants exhibit stress, and owners worry about moving trucks and trust. Most growers would rather get a root canal. But what if an affordable, fully mobile grow was available? What if you could hook up your garden and move on a whim?

That’s the vision of Deidre Finley of Agro2Go, and it is coming to life in her fully enclosed mobile grows. “Consider this,” she says, “if anything happens to your location ... splitting with a partner, meddlesome neighbors, landlord issues, trouble with the ex, sudden zoning changes, government problems of any kind ... you don’t have to worry,” Deidre said.

“Unplug and drive away to a new location in minutes. All is safe. No lost crop.

No rebuild required.” The 53- or 57-foot trailers come fully furnished and ready to start production. All that is required is a water source, a 240-volt power source, internet for security and the plants. The trailers come with security cameras and DVR, dehumidifier, air conditioning, heat, electrical sub-panel, ballasts, lights and all the equipment needed for either hydro or soil growing. Growing medium, fertilizers and plants are extra.

“It’s as easy as towing it to where you want to grow, powering up and starting production,” Deidre explained. “It’s the ultimate freedom for any grower.”

A quick Google search of semi truck grows yields dozens of results, all asking anywhere from more than $50,000 to as high as six figures. That’s where Agro2Go has the competition beat. Current models include 53-foot enclosed trailers built out with 8,000 watts and all required equipment for $25,000.

Once the unit is paid for, there’s no rent, no fees — just production in a fully mobile system. At more than 1 pound per light, the unit can conceivably be paid off in one crop, or easily within multiple harvests. The smell is well-contained.

The exterior can be painted in one of several colors of your choice and can blend into most environments. Imagine painting your truck and calling it “John’s Moving Service.” You can be invisible in plain sight. Inside the double doors of the trailer is a fully customizable space that can meet the need of any garden style.

The interior is a sparkling and laboratory white that is perfect for growing.

You’ll just need a flat and semi truck-accessible location. The trailers also qualify for I-502 zoning because they are fully compliant with security requirements.

Put a fence around it and the site is now legally secure in the eyes of the law.

You can learn more about these portable cultivation options and total customization by going to agro2go.com (Deidre said she expects to launch the website in January ) or by calling (253) 315-2673.

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“It’s the ultimate freedom for any grower.”

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feature

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by TONY OVERMAN for NORTHWEST LEAF

Fighting FOR SAFE ACCES S

Northwest Collective in Tumwater hasn’t hurt anyone. So why is the city telling them to leave?

Left to right,

Geneticist Eddie Funxta, NW Consulting owner Joe McConkey and cloner Chris Garcia with a planting of NWC - an OG Kush cross - at their medical cannabis production facility in Tumwater, Wash.

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A

few miles south of Olympia, the City of Tumwater is targeting Northwest Collective, a medical Cannabis collective that has existed safely for two years serving patients A specialty growing together in collective gardens. flower of the Consulting NW President Joe McConkey Tumwater said the city’s actions are heartbreaking facility is the 26and threaten access to medicine for many week -old patients. A total of 17 collective gardens Mama Thai, are in the location, serving more than 75 patients directly and hundreds a land-raised indirectly through extra medicine donations at Northwest Collective. sativa from The garden has had multiple walk-throughs with local law enforceThailand. ment, the fire department, Tumwater environmental protection officials “It’s old school,” and even a state lawmaker. All have given their nod of approval, and the said geneticist gardens have operated since 2012 without issue until the city became inEddie Funxta. volved in what has developed into a full-blown fight, McConkey said.

“The city sent a letter suddenly two months ago saying we had two weeks to shut down and move out,” added Maryanne Byrne, who represents the collective as a compliance officer and bookkeeper. “There was no warning at all, and we don’t feel we should go anywhere.”

The issue being brought by the city is the permitting and zoning of med“There was no ical Cannabis production. No specific business permits exist for medical warning at all, Cannabis production because collective gardens are not businesses — they and we don’t are associations of patient growers. feel we should go But the standards for I-502 are extremely high, and the current location anywhere,” has been approved for an I-502 license. There’s even an I-502 grow right said Maryanne next door. So the city doesn’t have a problem with pot being grown in the Byrne, who area — unless it’s medical. represents the “If it is OK to grow recreational pot here, on the same overall property, collective as a then why is medical not OK? There shouldn’t be a difference,” McConkey said. “We even have a Tier 3 I-502 license pending that has been approved compliance officer for this location. But we never intended to flip over from MMJ and abanand bookkeeper. don patients. We are here for our patients.”

The letter from the city states that the production, processing or retailing of medical marijuana is not permitted in the light industrial district.

“A collective garden is not by nature a business,” Byrne said. “All it is is three or more people coming together to grow medicine. What this facil“It is really sad,” McConkey said. “The patients that benefit the most ity does is allow patients a place to do that, and the facility is in turn overseen by a from this medicine are the ones who don’t have the physical capability management company.” or the financial capability to grow their own medicine.” McConkey is The case is now in appeal, which has put a strain on the McConkey’s and the 15 also a member of Northwest Collective, an association that has operated other contractors who, in part, are supported by the management company. They a brick and mortar access point in Lacey for two-and-a-half years. follow the rules and focus on health, which is something head cloner Chris Garcia The location was within 1,000 feet of a temporarily located private said they all take seriously. school, and the city is now asking the collective to relocate. McConkey “Our system is so transparent and we are here to grow real medicine to treat a hopes that the Legislature changes the zoning requirements for Cannahuge variety of conditions. Our patients range from age 10 to 96, with conditions bis, rolling back the school limit. That case is still in appeal, as is an audit from cancer to ALS, Crohn’s disease,” Garcia said. “The list goes on of people that for the collective management company regarding sales tax. are being made truly well from this, including us. We are patients. We have health Fighting three battles at once is difficult for anyone, especially given issues ourselves, and still we fight to make sure other patients are able to get true the confusion with state law for medical Cannabis. The collective garstrains on a healing level.” den model is working for patients, and does not present a problem for The biggest fear for the group is having to turn off the lights. The gardens are in the state other than a lack of perceived revenue. The group at NW Cola constantly rotating cycle that allows for continuous harvests, which ensures their lective is pushing for the state to regulate medical Cannabis and provide patients never go without medicine. guidance that allows for patients to provide for other patients directly.

The flowers that are grown include a huge variety of high-CBD and low-THC “We’re an open book,” Garcia said. “When the authorities came we strains, and strains that are being bred for new conditions. This genetic variety would had nothing to hide, and that’s why we want to be left alone. We have to be threatened and potentially become unavailable if the gardens were to close. fight just to exist all while patients are suffering. That’s not right.”

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STORY & PHOTOS by BOB MONTOYA for NORTHWEST LEAF

Micro strains

Every issue we’ll explore how growers are crafting strains with the goal of helping specific needs, not necessarily obtaining the highest yields ...

The winter months have given me time to re-group and review the long list of sources for some of the best Cannabis in the land. I returned to Vashon Island to see what new and unusual flowers were being developed.

Vashon Seed and Mercantile is famous for its

ability to encourage Afghani strains to flourish in the Northwest climate. It was difficult to pick just two, but I narrowed it down to its Frog Holler Haze and Sweet Baby Jane. Both are Vashon Seed and Mercantile creations. Clones Northwest and James Bean Seed are the sources for clones and seeds.

The finished product can be found at Green Lion Farms. These two strains are opposite ends of the medicinal spectrum.

Frog Holler Haze is a cross of Super Silver Haze

and Ripped Bubba, with an 80-20 sativa dominance. It is spicy and smooth. The effects are an immediate tingle in the sinus and it produces a full, good feeling in the temples and head. It is the go-to when things need to be done. It curbs the appetite, so keep a healthful snack on hand.

Sweet Baby Jane is the product of Afgooey and

Old Island Indica. It boasts a hefty 90-10 indica dominance that is relaxing and soothing. It has a good ratio of THC to CBD, making all of the CBD available to the endocannibinoid system by way of the resulting entourage effect. It’s earthy with a bit of citrus smell. This after-hours strain is a solid addition to the medicine cabinet.

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frog holler haze 80/20 sativa dominant

Bob Montoya is a Cannabis photographer, veteran & well-seasoned grower hailing from Olympia.

sweet baby jane earthy 90/10 indica-dom.

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By LAURIE WOLF for NORTHWEST LEAF | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF for NORTHWEST LEAF

s ’ r a e Y w e N y Happ f!

Lea t s e w h t r o N m o r f

CANNA-CARAMEL SPARKLING CIDER 1) Chill the sparkling cider

2) In a medium saucepan, mix the brown sugar, half and half, butters and salt.

3) Cook the mixture, stirring frequently for 4-6 minutes. The mixture will thicken when heated.

4) Add the vanilla and cook an additional minute. You want the sauce to be pourable. Let cool.

I quit making New Year’s resolutions years ago because they

never worked for me. They were always too drastic and I just ended up getting annoyed with myself. I think that moderation is the key — radical doesn’t work for me.

This group of recipes covers the start of the festivities, the toast and the morning after. None of these are very complicated and everything is medicated. I wish you all a happy New Year and may all your Canna dreams come true.

*

5) Pour the cold cider into champagne glasses. Drizzle 1 or 2 tablespoons into the glasses.

It’s so totally yummy. Serves 4-6.

INGREDIENTS 1 bottle sparkling cider

1 cup brown sugar, packed ½ cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons canna-butter 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

TASTY TIP: Caramel, Cannabis and apple seems just right to me. My experience mixing Cannabis and alcohol is limited so I have chosen to use sparkling cider instead of champagne to play it safe. This combo is a refreshing and effervescent way to kick off the new year.

74/JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

2 teaspoons vanilla Pinch salt

CANNA PARFAIT Pump up your experience by sautéing the two bananas in a tablespoon of canna-butter or oil.

*

INGREDIENTS

2 tbs. canna-butter/canna-coconut oil 2 cups low-fat Greek vanilla yogurt 1 ½ cups granola 2 bananas, thinly sliced 1 tsp. lemon juice (toss with bananas) 2 tbs. honey

1) Place 4 parfait glasses on your counter.

2) In a medium saucepan, heat the butter or oil. and sauté the granola for 5-6 minutes, coating evenly. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

3) Place some yogurt in each of the glasses, top with granola and then sliced bananas. Drizzle with honey and repeat the process.

Serves 4.

CANNABACON DATES This combination of flavors and textures is pretty spectacular. If you are not a blue cheese fan, use goat cheese or even a sharp cheddar.

1) Cut open dates horizontally and set aside.

2. Mix cheese & canna-butter in a small bowl.

3) Stuff dates w/ cheese mixture & press closed.

4) Wrap each date with half a slice of bacon.

5) Bake dates til’ bacon is crisp, ~ 30 min.

Drain on paper towels or cloth. Serves 6.

INGREDIENTS

12 pitted dates 2 tablespoons blue cheese 4 teaspoons canna-butter 6 strips bacon, cut in half

JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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THE JOINT IS A BLEND OF BUD AND FOUR-STAR BUBBLE HASH

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Reviews

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by Seattle Medical Marijuana Association (SMMA), $10

ROCKET MAN SUPER JOINT

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The first infused joint has hit the I-502 retail marketplace and it is

packed to the gills with high-quality bubble hash. But it’s also $30.

This isn’t a trim-filled joint misted with questionable mystery oil.

NW Organic Nursery only uses bud to fill the joint, and it is blended with four-star bubble hash for an even and consistent blend. We really like this product because of the dedication to using only natural ingredients. The result is a powerful but smooth joint that delivers a heady and potent experience. The smoke from the joint is light on the lungs and full of earthy hash flavors that complement the sweeter taste of THE SCORE the flower. It’s nice to smoke an infused joint that you can taste.

Va l ue : Through a session, the joint keeps ta s t e : an even burn that doesn’t run or Effec t: flare up, making it easy to put it Packaging: out halfway through if it’s a solo joint, and it’s great for sharing Ove ra l l : 18/20 without it disappearing quickly. The potency is strong on this joint, so we recommend sharing. Rocket Man Super Joints are available at several I-502 retailers. More information at nworganicnursery.com

78/JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

191.36 mg THC-Total per bar // 27.37 mg Terpene-Total 6.47 mg CBG-Total // 22.06 mg CBN

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YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS BAR HAS AN INTENSE GREEN FLAVOR BUT ALSO NEARLY 200MG THC...

This bar is one of the more distinctive samples we’ve had in a long

time. On the outside, the bar looks like a normal medible, though the claimed potency did seem rather high given the $10 price tag. We tested the bar and discovered the claimed potency of this product THE SCORE was spot on. But the problem is the bar just didn’t taste good.

Value: We blind-tested it on several taste: patients after receivaing negaEffect: tive feedback about the flavor Packaging: and the results were consistent.

It was bitter and sour chocolate Overall: 12/20 with a weird consistency. Still, it is clear that SMMA has a solid system for infusing its products, and at $10, the value is solid for the milligrams of medicine. This medible has an intense green flavor, but if you have don’t have a finicky palate and just need the medicine, this is a solid choice. More information at Medicalmarijuanaseattle.com

health & science

A

PPLE CIDER VINEGAR IS A COMMON HOUSEHOLD ITEM OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH CULINARY USES. FROM PICKLES AND KETCHUP, TO SALAD DRESSINGS AND MARINADES, VINEGARS ARE USED FOR THEIR NOTORIOUS SOUR FLAVOR AND THEIR ACIDIC CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. VINEGARS ARE ALSO KNOWN FOR THEIR USE AS CLEANING AGENTS FOR KITCHENS, BATHROOMS, WINDOWS, ETC.

Many people, however, might not aware that apple cider vinegar (otherwise known as cider vinegar or ACV) is also used for medicinal purposes. The internet offers many wild claims about ACV consumption having all sorts of beneficial effects on health. Because research studies on natural medicines and folk remedies are few and far between, many of these claims are not supported by science.

But lack of proof is not proof that something is not happening, and anecdotal evidence is often supported by science in time. The evidence of ACV’s health benefits has been witnessed for hundreds, maybe thousands of years. ACV is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. Research has shown ACV promise in the combating diabetes, digestion, heart health and even possibly cancer.

Some experts say that adding a little of this sour

liquid to your life may have positive health benefits. It is all natural, inexpensive and perfectly safe when consumed properly.

Why not?

Vinegars have been produced and sold for thousands of years. The first vinegar was likely produced as the result of an ancient accident. As long ago as 5,000 B.C., someone stored a keg of wine too long, poorly sealed and allowed oxygen inside.

When opened, there was the sour liquid of vinegar instead of wine. The name vinegar originates from the French term “vin aigre” which means sour wine. Vinegars are either made from fruits such as grapes or apples and are referred to as the cider vinegars, or from grain such as rice.

Acetic acid and malic acid are present in the mixThe most potent form of cider vinegar is unture giving ACV its sour taste and are thought to pasteurized or organic ACV, which contains the be responsible for some of its biological effects. mother of the vinegar, a cobweb-like substance The best ACV is one that is organic, unfiltered within the fluid that makes the vinegar murky and and unprocessed which will contain the mother, slightly congealed. such as Bragg’s apple cider vinegar.

Manufacturers distill vinegar to remove the In addition to acetic and malic acids, ACV murky mother that most folks won’t buy. though is rich in bioactive components such as some believe that the mother is responsigallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, cafble for most of the health benefits. This feic acid and others. It also possesses substance contains strands of proteins,

BY NORTHWEST LEAF a number of characteristic vitamins, enzymes and healthy bacteria. It’s the SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR mineral salts and amino acids. murky looking, more nutricious, less DR. SCOTT D. ROSE ACV contains soluble fiber in processed stuff you want. the form of pectin, vitamin A, vitaACV is made from cider or the min B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, thiarenderings of apples and is typically a min, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pale-to-medium amber color. Making of beta-carotene and lycopene. The compound vinegar requires a two-step fermentation proalso contains minerals such as sodium, phosphocess. First, the sugars in the cider are allowed to rus, potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. ferment to alcohol. A second fermentation process With all of these nutrients and others, apple ciis utilized to convert the alcohol into vinegar by der vinegar is known to be effective in the realms adding acid-forming bacteria, or acetobacteria. of natural medicine for treating a wide range of conditions.

Those include, but are not limited to, weight loss, leg cramps and pain, upset stomach, sore throat, sinus congestion, high blood pressure, arthritis, detoxing the body, slowing and reversing

the power of sour

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR CAN HELP YOUR BODY! 84/JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

the aging process, regulating blood pressure and fighting infection.

Research is largely lacking and there are various thoughts to how ACV may work.

ACV can help counteract the acidity tht thrives in our bodies. Acetic and the other acids contained in ACV can also increase the body’s absorption of important minerals. Some of the benefits of ACV may also be derived from yet-to-be-identified phytochemicals as scientists have found in other superfoods such as turmeric, broccoli and blueberries.

D.C. Jarvis (1881-1966) was a medical doctor from Vermont and a strong proponent of ACV. He is best known for his advocacy of honey and ACV (known as switchel, or honegar) as the preventive and cure for many common illnesses. His years of observation and experience seem to have given him good reason for his recommendations.

His 1958 book Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor’s Guide to Good Health outlines his recommendations for use. An ancient Roman elder, Pliny, is said to have used honey and vinegar to cleanse the system and promote good health.

More recently, modern science has begun to revisit some of his claims about ACV, particularly with respect to diabetes, weight loss, cardiovascular disease and digestion.

H

ave you heard that apple cider vinegar will help you lose weight? Given that vinegar lowers blood sugar and insulin levels, it makes sense that it could help you lose weight.

Several human studies suggest that vinegar can increase satiety (the sensation of feeling full), thereby helping to eat fewer calories and lose more actual pounds on the scale.

Vinegar along with high-carb meals can increase feelings of fullness and make people eat 200275 fewer calories during the rest of the day.

A study in obese individuals showed that daily vinegar consumption led to reduced belly fat, waist circumference, lower blood triglycerides and weight loss of 2.6 to 3.7 pounds during the 12 week study duration. Researchers suggest that vinegar may turn on certain genes involved in breaking down fats.

Although helpful for weight management, it is not a quick fix and individuals still need to exercise and practice portion control in order to lose weight.

ACV’s anti-glycemic or blood sugar lowering effect is fairly well documented making it a perfect adjunct in diabetes treatment. The vinegar seems to block starch from being digested, not 100 percent, but enough is prevented from being absorbed and raising the blood sugar. The anti-glycemic effect of vinegar was first reported in 1988. One theory is

that it might inactivate some of the digestive enzymes that break down carbohydrates into sugar, thus slowing absorption of sugar from a meal into the bloodstream.

These effects are seen even when consumed at bedtime, not necessarily with the meal. The most successful application of vinegar to date is in patients with type 2 diabetes.

One study found that vinegar treatment improved insulin sensitivity in individuals with type 2 diabetes and those with pre-diabetes..

Cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) is currently the world’s largest cause of death. Several measurable biological factors are linked to either a decreased or increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Several of these risk factors have shown improvement by vinegar consumption, but all of the studies were performed in rats.

The only human evidence is an observational study from Harvard showing that women who ate salad dressings with vinegar had a reduced risk of heart disease.

The murky, congealed substance of the mother is full of probiotics and other beneficial bacteria.

When the starch digestion is inhibited by ACV, and the starch is not broken down as much and absorbed, the remainder is available as food for the healthy bacteria in the gut.

Healthy bacterial flora is imperative for proper immune function. and proper bowel habits. Acid reflux is often a result of not enough stomach acid production, contrary to conventional thought.

ACV improves the acid content of the stomach, thereby improving the trap door at the top of the stomach to stay closed and not allowing heartburn symptoms to occur.

Zinc is a mineral that is important in the production of stomach acid. ACV consumption improves mineral status including zinc and can help to normalize stomach acid production as well.

ACV can be used effectively for internal and external topical applications, such as helping acne,

sunburn, shingles, insect bites, dandruff, allergic reactions and vaginal infections.

Never drink apple cider vinegar straight. It’s so acidic that it could harm tooth enamel and the tissues of the esophagus.

Recommendations range from diluting one to two tablespoons in a glass of water and consuming upon waking up, and then between meals, to taking the dilution along with meals.

Generally it is recommended one consume this dilution one to three times daily. The addition of one tablespoon of raw, unfiltered honey is also advised.

Those trying to lower blood sugars should maybe skip the honey. Excess consumption may have harmful effects. There is one report of an individual having had ill effects from consuming 250 ml per day for 6 years, 1 tablespoon is 15ml. ACV could theoretically interact with diuretics, laxatives and medicines for diabetes and heart disease.

If taking any of these medications, and wanting to try therapeutic levels of ACV, beyond what is normally found in the diet, then it is well advised to consult with the prescribing physician about potential side effects.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away and the same may go for a bit of apple cider vinegar a day. At the very least, apple cider vinegar seems to be safe.

There are no side effects noted with normal consumption. There’s no reason not to incorporate this healing food into your daily regimen. Remember that prevention is the very best treatment for any disease. Although the research is relatively minimal, what has been done on using ACV as a potential therapeutic agent is promising.

ACV is a good diet supplement and safe for most individuals. Add a bit to your daily routine and you’ll unlock the power of sour.

Never drink apple cider vinegar straight. It’s so acidic that it could harm tooth enamel and the tissues of the esophagus. It’s recommended to dilute 1-2 tablespoons of acv in a glass of water and drink upon waking, and then between meals, or about 1-3x daily. Try taking it with one tablespoon of raw, unfiltered honey.

Dr. Scott D. Rose has written about Cannabis and health for years in the Northwest Leaf.

He is an acupuncturist with a pain resolution clinic in the Crown Hill area of Seattle.

JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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GROWTECH

YOU’LL FIND YOURSELF FEELING GRATITUDE IN EVEN MUNDANE TASKS.

hOW TO BECOME A GREAT GROWER >> It’s more than a hobby: it’s a job, one requiring dedication and ample creativity on the daily.

L

ating a life in which the majority of my ife is as much about the choices time is spent in pursuit of cultivating we make as it is about what this plant to perfection. those choices bring into

BY NORTHWEST LEAF I consider Cannabis cultivation to our experience. Maybe you SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR be a creative endeavor. The pioneers have decided to follow your dreams DR. SCANDERSON of indoor Cannabis growing come and create a life where the pursuit of from a lineage shrouded in discretion, your passion is interwoven with your but the majority of growers now gather vocation. The raw energy and unending as much information as they can online, enthusiasm can be a lot like an enchanting from a buddy, from books, and just go to work. romance in its honeymoon stage.

Unlike other trades where formal training, eduHowever, like all easily quenched desires of cation and experience can be gained well before the heart, time and repetition often create a dull your efforts provide a source of income, most familiarity that can extinguish what once seemed Cannabis growers are on the trial-by-fire track. to be a bottomless pit of desire for your newly It’s only recently that many of the most valufound or created vocation. This month’s Grow able and tested methods of Cannabis cultivation Tech will examine some of the most valuable lessons I’ve recognized along the way toward crehave become widely known.

90/JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Gardeners can now gather as much information as they feel comfortable with and make choices regarding which theories are closest to their understanding of reality. The way in which growers invent, create, test and then provide their product to another individual for a completely subjective opinion, is similar to the work of an artist.

The product of a grower’s art is as much in the medicine they provide as the methods and procedures they use to cultivate it. As such, creativity remains unbound in the garden — innovations, techniques and methods being refined daily in all parts of the world provide the opportunity for invention that’s almost limitless. This can be as much of a trap as it can be an incentive, which brings us to my first tip.

PUT IN THE WORK

Lesson #1

Be professionally creative, not a creative professional. If you were raised in a conventional setting in this country and find a way to earn your living through the practice of your passion, you likely feel as though you’re living in a dream. The trap is believing that all your experiences over the long term in working toward the mastery of your craft will come floating on a comfortable bed of inspiration, creativity and joy.

Most anything common has the tendency to become familiar, so even your relationship with the pursuit of your life’s passion will change over time. There will be times when tasks are required of you that you will not feel like doing and you cannot rely on the raw excitement of living your life’s passion to carry you through. Consequently, you need to make objective commitments and follow through with them even when you don’t feel like it.

Writer Steven Pressfield addresses the matter in his book, The War of Art. “Someone once asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. ’I write only when inspiration strikes,’ Maugham replied. ‘Fortunately it strikes every

morning at nine o’clock sharp.”

It’s important that you create the space for creativity and inspiration to occur. Creativity is a state of being, like love or frustration. As habit-forming creatures, those states can be generated through repetitive behaviors. It’s essential that you create and adhere to a schedule or at least a schedule of results. By doing so, intrinsic boundaries and guidelines exist in which we allow ourselves to be creative. It doesn’t stop there.

A sure indicator that you’re on the right path is when part of the “job” of pursuing your passion involves all the same sacrifices and compromises you might have previously only associated with a more conventional job. It’s also a clear indicator that you’re pursuing the right passion when you find that once you overcome the initial resistance to get started, you find yourself feeling gratitude in even the most mundane tasks.

ALWAYS SIMPLIFY IT Lesson #2

You must strive to KISS — that always relevant phrase stands for Keep It Simple Stoner. Another creativity trap is associating complex and intricate growing systems or methods with being more advanced or something only highly skilled gardeners can pull off. With little exception, the higher skill in gardening is being able to simplify and streamline all of the elements of growing.

The letter K is first for a reason. People who can last in this trade and are regarded as having the best practices and best medicine consistently make simplicity a priority in their gardening through the maturity of their careers. Being able to identify in your own practices where things have gotten out of hand and are no longer simple is a skill. It’s honest self-reflection. If left unchecked, the solitude can leave a gardener rationalizing some pretty absurd practices.

STAY STREAMLINED

Lesson #3

This especially applies to gardeners who are using a common reservoir to supply nutrients to multiple plants. The benefits of running a limited number of strains at a time in those conditions are immense and not just for the obvious reasons.

Sticking with two or at most three complementary strains per one to 10 lights consistently produces the best results in production rooms.

You are able to gain the benefits of a mild amount of biodiversity while simultaneously giving all the plants what they need when they need it. All plants are on the same growing pace, not just finishing pace. This is important when considering the changes in biological functions and the effect on the environment and necessity for nutrition.

Even if two plants finish in 65 days, one might do the majority of its bulking and thickening at the end while the other might start fast and finish slowly. Consequently, each might have dramatically different needs for nutrients, thrive under different environments at different times and as a result, the best the gardener can hope to achieve is to maximize an average potential for both plants.

Either both of these plants will end up doing pretty well, or one’s going to do amazing, while the other performs only so-so. Do one thing well.

TRY NEW THINGS

Lesson #4

ditions and with the style you provide and how you enjoy them. As someone committed to pursuing a passion professionally, it’s imperative that the system you work in protects your ability to continue to work in it. This is the place to (if you must) take in clones and new genetics. You want to remove any risk of contaminating your production space.

Forego this step and you might find your passion influencing your choices in a counterproductive and costly way. Worse yet, without the proper channels to nurture and express your creative spirit, you’re left with a profession that slowly and inevitably erodes into a mundane job.

WORK LIKE A PRO

Lesson #5 Don’t run with scissors, but remember to play in the sandbox. It’s easy to lose sight of the financial The physical space you build out is the last place to side of your passion. Money alone often keeps the try to force practices if you want to make gardenmajority of people from pursuing their dreams ing your profession. It’s difficult to work around professionally and likewise spits those that make structural issues such as ceiling height, location the leap to being a full-timer right back to where and security concerns. I always put climate first. they came from — if they don’t take responsibiliIf you’re running a professional space, it’s essential ty for this aspect of the job. to your results, safety and happiness that you work Chances are you don’t just love growing Canwith commercial-grade equipment. nabis. You probably love growing, discovering Hiring a residential/commercial HVAC guy and smoking different types of Cannabis. After isn’t going do it. Gardening is a highly specialized all, working with multiple varieties teaches you climate to maintain and much different from the as much about yourself as it does about gardenneeds of residential and commercial heating and ing in general. However, another creativity trap cooling for humans. Getting a dialed-in climate, lurks here. The desire to unrelentingly pursue followed by getting the best lights/ballasts, are the your passion wherever it takes two areas I recommend going you can come with a cost. Failall out for. They are easily the Get in Touch ure to recognize the difference most costly to redo in most thegreengardengroup@gmail.com between servicing your passion circumstances. That’s critical to over your profession as opremember when planning how Like my Instagram posed to maintaining a balance many tons of AC you should Follow @DrScanderson_gT between the two can result in be running and how many catastrophe. It’s most helpful watts you should use. to segregate your space(s) into those that you Just as important as not pinching pennies is knowing that most all other areas can be complethave the most familiarity with, already know you ed on a budget. It’s almost always the case that the enjoy working with, already know your patients build-out takes longer and costs more than anticilove and reliably create a financial result that enpated. The additional time is a double cost because sures the security of the garden from those that we are always against time from a production primarily service your passion. standpoint in the garden.

You need a testing space to play in. This is Mixing your own soil, and brewing your own the spot to try out the new lighting, new techteas and nutrients are huge cost savers. Building niques, new nutrient programs, new mediums, your own system or being creative with your connew strains and learn how they grow in the containers/support system can save you thousands.

Getting $90 matching red and black wall-mount fans isn’t necessary. As with all growing gear, if you can make, build, fabricate, reuse, repurpose or redesign a non grow-related product into something you use in the garden, you’ll save lots of money.

“Our job in this life,” Maugham wrote, “is not to shape ourselves into some ideal we imagine we ought to be, but to find out who we already are and become it.”

GETTING $90 MATCHING RED AND BLACK FANS ISN’T NECESSARY.

JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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CHERRY FUEL

BAG APPEAL & SMOKE REPORT out of the seven females I selected, none displayed any red

or purple coloring and so I selected for terp profile and vigor.

The plant that had, by far, the most sophisticated Sour Cherry profile also had the largest yield. To that end, the bag appeal for these meds isn’t going to turn heads — until the nose gets involved. Few truly distinctive terpene profiles are found in Cannabis, but cherry is certainly one of them.

The cherry fuel delivers, providing the sharp and penetrating smell of cherry cough syrup, finishing with deep sour notes.

While the nug structure is nothing short of huge, it doesn’t suffer the overly fluffy fate that some of the larger diesel and hazeinfluenced genetics can finish with.

HOW IT GROWS i nicknamed this plant Audrey 2 because it’s a straight beast.

It doesn’t suffer the overly fluffy fate that some of the larger diesel and haze influenced genetics can finish with.

LINEAGE

GENETICS:

BY NORTHWEST LEAF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. SCANDERSON

Coming loud and heavy from the cherry line, Sin City Seeds does a nice job of capturing the elusive cherry terpene prof ile found in the exotic Buddha’s Sister and combining it with a sour fuel to reveal deep sour tones & over-the-top yields.

BUDDHA’S SISTER X PETROL OG

BREEDER: SIN CITY SEEDS FLOWER TIME: 70-75 DAYS

94/JAN. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

She is vigorous from the start, cloning quickly and leaping in veg with enthusiasm. Her broad indica leaves eventually need pruning because they grow into Frisbee-size panels capable of shading the majority of the node sites. By removing those panels and providing some mild topping or training, this plant explodes, growing evenly in height and width. Its strong, even branching is almost automatic and the stretch is mild. Once it blooms, her leaves really take over and must be pruned.

As with many plants that grow King Kong-size kolas, her node spacing is extremely dense, further creating priority for adequate leaf-thinning. Around day 40, all the towers should be clear and easy to expose. Although not the heaviest feeder considering how large she grows, this plant steadily and decisively bulks and bulks and bulks straight through day 72-plus, displaying some of its recessive Sour Diesel parental lineage. Like Sour D, she benefits from an increased dark period during the last weeks to ensure complete ripening.

EFFECTS highly functional, definitely daytime-type effects.

This medication isn’t going to end your day, if anything, it will get you out of your chair. Dominant lip-smacking cherry and muted sour terps leaves the mouth buzzing with flavors.

It left my lips feeling like I just applied a thick coat of cherry Chap Stick. Because of its sativa-dominant profile, I can happily role another and go along my merry way without worries of getting into a day-ending-creeper-type of condition.

an ideal plant for growers of all skill levels, Cherry Fuel might be one of the

best strains to come out of the Sin City cherry lines that I’ve run. If you have the opportunity to grow it or have a day full of activity planned and have the opportunity to medicate with it, do it. You won’t be disappointed.

21+ RECREATIONAL

NO DOCTOR REQUIRED

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This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug.

There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

GRASS